The New Girl
by LoneStarGirl93
Summary: She's the foreign exchange student. He's the famous playboy. She's staying at the Wayne Manor. Take a guess where he lives. What can happen in a year? More than some of you might think.  Poor summary, I know...rated for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1: The New Girl

Sooooo…this wasn't from my old account…it's a different story from a different account that I had been working on, and I've decided to continue it in place of 'A Tameranian Prophecy' considering it seemed to have lost a lot of popularity.

So…here ya go. I haven't revised this, I'm using exactly what I already had, so bear with me:]

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

She lightly closed the car door behind her, turning around gracefully with a suitcase in each hand. Her curious eyes circled the perimeter in amazement as she took in her surroundings. She silently studied the colorful gardens, watching the butterflies and bees hover near it, going about a normal day. She watched the sprinkler systems circle around and around, quenching the thirst of the plentiful grass. She looked around at the perfectly carved hedges and the very well kept lawn, and smiled sweetly to herself. Her eyes cast themselves around the yard, trailing themselves back and fourth along the wrought iron skeleton of the fence enclosing the wondrous property until they ran into the side of the house. She looked straight at it and her eyes widened, eyebrows raised, and her surprise grew,

"This is where he lives?" she asked herself, greatly impressed with what she was seeing.

The house was massive. Made of dark red brick and old stone, but must've taken up two acres all in itself. There were countless windows, numerous balconies, and the friendliest aura she'd ever felt. The large oak door (that must've stood twice as tall as she did) seemed both intimidating and inviting all in the same. It called her near gently, just dripping with hospitality. She stood in place, studying every detail of the lovely estate, before a warm laugh sounded from behind her. She quickly turned around to look at the source of the sound, only to meet a pair of piercing, but kind grey eyes staring back at her maybe three feet off.

"Yes it is. Do you like it?" he asked through his deep vocal cords, grinning at her expectantly. The gentle girl's lips curved upward lightly, into a sweet and extremely happy smile. She met his eyes evenly with hers and nodded,

"Very much. It's beautiful. I especially love the garden. It's amazing!" she said happily. Saying that she liked it was an understatement. She was almost immediately in love with it. In love with the yard. In love with the garden. In love with the house itself. She thought of it as perfect, like one of those homes you see on television that all the stars have. The only difference was that this one was real. The man just grinned at her,

"Then we'll have to give you a front room. You must be Ms. Anderson. It's great to have you here." he told her warmly. She just looked down slightly, swallowing gently, and looking back up to the tall man. So far, she was taking a liking to him. And assuming that he was who she thought he was, he wasn't anything like he'd expected. Carefully setting down the luggage from her right hand, she reached forward to shake his,

"Yes sir. And you're Mr. Wayne, correct?" she asked him sweetly. He just gave her a good natured chuckle and shook his head, taking her hand in his, happily surprised by the strength of her grip. He shook her hand lightly and let go, looking back at the beautiful girl,

"No, no. Call me Bruce, please. I'm only 'Mr. Wayne' in the office." he said warmly. She accepted his comment and nodded cutely, picking her bag back up and looking back at him,

"And you may call me Kori." she said. He grinned and reached forward, wrapping his large hand around the handle of her larger suitcase and giving it a suggestive tug as if to signal for her to let go of it.

"Very well. Here, let me help you with this. I'll have Alfred show you to your room." he told her. She smiled again and released her grip on the large bag, thankfully nodding and following the kind man up to the front door of the grand manor, excitement tickling from beneath her nose as she couldn't wait to see the inside of the house.

Their footsteps sounded as they stepped up onto the front porch and Bruce reached forward and slowly opened the door. The redhead smirked to herself as she heard the loud creaking sound that came with it. It seemed to fit the massive door, especially as it echoed through the large hallway that greeted them past the hard wood surface of the fancy door.

They walked past it as if it were nothing and walked through another pair of doors, entering the grand hall...and she definitely thought it was grand. The master staircase spiraled upward, inviting her up. She looked up before the sound of another pair of footsteps erupted from the right and a frail-looking old man walked in, dressed in a formal tuxedo and a warm grin. Bruce set down her bag and signaled to the man,

"Ah Alfred. This is Korina. She'll be staying for the year. From Egypt." he said. The old man's face lit up at Bruce's comment. And he looked the girl over. She felt slightly nervous under the heat of his stare, but soon forgot it as a warm smile painted his face.

"Yes! Yes! It's great to have you here Ms. Korina. Let me get your bags I'll show you to your room." he said happily, scooping her bags into his grasp and starting up the stairs. Kori smiled in surprise at the anxiousness he had in having her with them. She smiled and turned to Bruce to tell him that she'd be back down momentarily, before,

"Alfred, make sure the young lady has a good view of the gardens, please." he said. The sweet girl smiled widely at him, thankfully before Alfred cleared his throat to gain the girl's attention again and grinned at her, nodding to the upstairs. They walked silently down the hallway and made only two turns (which the girl carefully noted so she wouldn't get lost) until Alfred stopped in front of a white painted door.

"Your room, Ms. Korina." he told her, signaling for her to open the door. She anxiously wrapped her slender fingers around the brass knob and turned it gently, slowly pushing the door open to reveal the most beautiful bedroom she could've imagined. The walls were a light blue, like the color of the sky of the most glorious of days. There was a spring green canopy cascading down the solid whit bed that seemed to glow as the sun beat straight into it. The floors were a light wood and there were two matching dressers on either side of the bed. A small desk sat in the corner and a small laptop computer sat on it as if it were just waiting to be used.

But other than the beautiful room, there were three more doors connecting. Two were on an empty wall and one was on the wall facing her bed. One of the doors was a clear glass door, textured so that it wasn't completely see-through (which she assumed led to a bathroom) and the other was just a simple, white painted door. She walked curiously to it and opened it, only to reveal a large walk-in closet. It must've been the size of a normal bedroom nowadays! She smiled, trying to hide her satisfaction as she stepped out of it and closed it carefully, opening and walking through the clear door. She was right.

It was a magnificent bathroom. Everything was made out of crystal, even the bathtub! She walked over to the tub and furrowed her brows in surprise...it looked as if it had been made for ten people at once. She swallowed and curiously, opened the shower door which stood on the opposite wall of the tub. It was at least half the size of her closet. Like a small room. The floor was made of stone, and the back and side wall were also made of stone. She smile, almost laughing at how amazing it was. Stepping out of the shower, and then out of the bathroom, she looked at Alfred and Bruce, who'd just made it up to see her reaction and satisfaction with her room. She opened her mouth to speak before his strong voice shattered the stilled silence,

"Will it do?" he asked. She just smiled and shook her head,

"Oh my gosh, it's AMAZING!" she said happily. A wide grin spread across his face as he nodded to her. She wanted to hug him, but decided against it. Alfred cleared his throat and looked from Bruce, than to Kori,

"I'm glad you find it acceptable. Now if you're ready to ear; I have dinner prepared. Unless of course you wish to unpack first." he said to her with a gentle tone. The sweet girl only smiled at her and shook her head,

"Thank you, but I'm rather hungry." she said. Bruce chuckled and signaled for her to follow him. The two of them slowly began down the hallway with Alfred not far behind them. They made it down the stairs and down a long corridor into the kitchen. Once they got there, everything was already on the table and the smell had filled the room. The three of them sat down, but before anyone got the chance to eat anything, Bruce turned to the redhead and looked her straight in the eye,

"Oh, I almost forgot. My son'll be here soon. Remind me to introduce you two."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Soo…hope y'all like it. Like I said, I haven't revised this, except for spelling and grammar.

I know the chapter is short…but I'm going to post all the chapters I have so far as they are…and I'll gladly tell you when I'm starting fresh with the chapters :]

Either way, I still hope you guys enjoy it!

I'll be sure to update soon.

PLEASE tell me what you thought.


	2. Chapter 2: Kori, huh?

Alrighty…so here's chapter two. Hope you guys like it!

Just…to keep you up to date, this is of course still the original chapter sooo…hope it was okay!

Enjoy.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

"I'll see you guys later!" the sweet girl chirped as she made her way to the large door, her light blue backpack slung over her shoulder. She was excited to see what schools were like in this part the galaxy-I mean world. She gently touched the knob to the door and pushed down on it, clicking the catch open. She turned back to smile at them and wave good-bye as she turned back around and disappeared through the doorway, closing it behind her.

Bruce held a strong grin, glancing at Alfred, and then back to the empty doorway...he was already taking a liking to this new girl. She was polite. She was sweet as could be. And she had a great head on her shoulders. She knew when to be serious. When not to be. She was incredibly down to Earth, and all around likable. But Bruce's smiled faded as he turned around and took in a deep breath,

"Damnit Dick! Get up! You're gonna be late!" he shouted up the stairwell, for his son. As if on cue, a handsome young man began down the stairs, a bag slung across his shoulder, and an annoyed smirk slung across his face. He rolled his icy blue eyes at Bruce and swallowed,

"Happy? I've been up. Was in the shower. Jeez." he said cockily. He was very short-tempered and tended to have trouble admitting that he was wrong. For example; he'd just gotten out of bed maybe ten minutes ago. He was of course, too proud to admit it, and simply applied three layers of deodorant and two coats of Axe. Bruce accepted the excuse though and sighed, shaking his head,

"Okay, well, get going. You're gonna be late." he said calmly, ignoring the eyebrow that was wanting so badly to twitch, and signaled to the door. Richard just sighed and nodded, again rolling his eyes,

"Yeah, yeah. I hear you." he said, turning around and walking toward the door, anxious to get to school and see which girl he was going to take home tonight. of course, you wouldn't expect anything less from the best playboy in Gotham...but seriously, wow.

Bruce's memory suddenly snapped back like a flyswatter trying to execute a buzzing nuisance to what he meant to say earlier, but never got the chance to. He looked up at Richard, who was halfway through the door,

"Oh and we have a-" and the door slammed right in his face. Bruce just looked down, sighed, and shook his head,

"...new girl..."

LATER IN SCHOOL

Richard Grayson pulled into the teacher's parking lot, as he usually did. The sounds of girls swooning over him filled his ears as they all gathered around his car, flirting hopelessly, trying their hardest to get him to even look at them. He didn't. He just walked right past them, ignoring them like any other day, too tired to pay attention to anything that any one of them had to say.

_Meanwhile..._

The beautiful redhead slowly walked down the school, glancing up at room numbers, and then back down to her newly printed schedule, trying her hardest to manage to find a match. In fact; she was so involved with her match-making, that she didn't even partially notice the strange little boy walking towards her, watching a skinny blond girl, instead of where he was going. The two of them collided, and brought them both to their senses.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Kori exclaimed, immediately feeling more like she didn't belong. Gar just started laughing, at himself, trying to keep the girl he was watching from thinking he was a total dork. When she finally passed the corner, along with the line of sight, he finally looked back at the girl,

"No, it's fine, don't worry-DUDE! You're that girl from Egypt! The new girl!" he shouted at the top of his scrawny little lungs. This took Kori back slightly, surprising her for two particular reasons. One; that he'd gone from so cool, to so excited. Two; that he actually _knew_ who she was. She just smiled hesitantly at him and offered him the slightest, and most sheepish nod,

"Y-yeah." she confirmed, watching him curiously. His face lit up at her response and he looked as if he were about to burst. (With questions and curiosity, that is.)

"Oh my god, what's it like there? Do they have tofu? Do they still write in those little picture thingies? And do you-"

"God, Gar, leave her alone. It's her first day. I'm Rachel. This is Gar. Ignore him, he's like too stupid to function." came a calm, and somewhat scratchy voice from beside them. The girl seemed to come out of no where, but for some reason, seemed to bring comfort to the redhead, who smiled at the two of them, giggling cutely at 'Rachel's comment, and nodding to Gar, and then Rachel.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Kori." she told them innocently. Gar was still staring at her, overly excited to start asking her questions, but Rachel just adopted a smirk onto her face and looked Kori over once again,

"Where are you headed?" she asked curiously, watching her glance at her schedule knowingly. Kori just smiled naively at her and shrugged cutely,

"Oh...I'm not sure. D212." she said innocently. Rachel chuckled slightly and nodded. Kori looked her over curiously and waited anxiously for a response from the dark, yet surprisingly friendly girl. Rachel took in a breath through her slightly parted lips and looked the redhead in the eye,

"Here, I'll walk you. You're going the wrong way." she said. Kori smiled, not feeling the least bit embarrassed, and placing her schedule in the cover of the Calculus book she carried. Looking back at Rachel, she smiled again,

"Thanks." she said sweetly. Rachel nodded and began walking, the inquisitive girl right behind her. Gar jumped up and down, poutingly,

"Hey! I wanna come! Kori! Wait up!" he said, as he took off to catch up with them. None of them noticing the sapphire eyes studying them from afar. His eyes were set on the beautiful redhead as her, and her two new friends made their way to their classes. He simply rose a brow curiously and grinned,

"Hm...Kori, huh?"

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Hope y'all liked it!

I'll get the next chap up soon guys.

Please tell me what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3: English Lessons

I know this chapter was short…but like I said, it's the original, so I just posted it as is. Either way, I hope y'all enjoy it!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

A gentle and semi-accidental crash sounded in the crowded halls of Gotham High as the two teenagers collided. Papers flew in every direction, and books dropped to the floor like an anchor at sea. A gentle girl squeaked in shock and a handsome young man grinned in triumph.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" the graceful redhead said sincerely as she immediately fell to her knees, quickly gathering her scattered books and papers from the crowded school hallway. A wide grin spread across the handsome face of her observer as he watched her, slowly bending down to her level to help her gather her fallen papers.

"Nah, don't worry about it." he told her warmly, as he slowly began sorting the papers into a neat stack. The angelic girl noticed his kind assistance and cast her gaze forward, to thank her helper...before she looked at him. His eyes locked on hers for a moment, studying them, with a gentle shock...one that, for some reason, thrilled her. He just grinned inwardly, mumbling a silent cheer of triumph: he had hooked her. Yet, to his surprise, she simply smiled again and looked down to her papers, gently taking them from him, glancing back up at him lightly,

"Thank you. And again, I apologize." she said gently. Now, it was her turn. She got to study the boy in front of her. His kind act didn't have her as fooled as she led on. She was watching him curiously, waiting to see how he would respond to the new girl from another country. She was naive. That was obvious. But she wanted to see if he was going to try and play on that card.

"Again, you're fine. Don't worry about it." he told her warmly. A gentle smile surfaced of her radiant face as she nodded gently to him, slowly pulling her schedule of the day out of her pocket to glance at it, her eyes still set on the gorgeous young man standing in front of her.

"My name is Kori." she told him softly, trying not to pay as much obvious attention to him. He wasn't fooled. He could feel her focus praying on him thoroughly, but it didn't bother him. He actually found it flattering. To have such a beautiful girl simply watching him, instead of drooling over him like every other girl he talked to. It was nice.

"Pretty name." he said through a charming grin, holding his hand out to her, "I'm Richard." he told him, studying her with a light appreciation. He was taking a slight liking to this girl. At least so far, he was. Though as he watched the slender redhead mess with the piece of paper, Kori's guard was up. She was indeed, starting to like the boy who was talking to her...yet...she wasn't sure how dependable his kindness was. So she looked up at him gently, meeting his icy blue eyes with hers and offered him a light smile, accepting the hand that was reaching out for her,

"It is nice to meet you Richard." she told him sweetly. He just grinned lightly at the sound of his name through her melodic voice. He thought for a moment whether or not he wanted to tell her to call him 'Dick' or let her keep it was she'd just said it...he wanted it how it was. So he just offered her another award-winning smile and nodded slightly to her,

"Yeah, likewise." he told her. The redhead just smiled at him gently and nodded,

"Well I guess I will see you around." she said through a happy curve of a mouth and turned away from him, gracefully making her way down the hall, to her next class. Richard rose a brow cockily at how easily she'd just left and smirked, walking after her and catching her arm in a gently graze of a touch. The beautiful girl just stopped and turned around gently to see who'd stopped her, almost sure it was Richard.

"Hey wait a sec. You're the new girl, right?" he asked her. Kori just sighed inwardly, slightly irritated that everyone was reffering to her as 'the new girl'. She had a name. If everyone knew she was new, how did they not know her actual name? Just she shook it off gently, trying to ignore her slight irritance with a gentle smile.

"That would be me." she told him sweetly, looking at him through curiously innocent eyes and a smile that was no doubt, to die for. He just grinned at her again, trying to swallow the lump in his throat,

"Well, here. Let me walk you to your next class. This school's like a maze." he told her, trying to buy a few more minutes of persuasion from her. She smiled at him again, trying to hide the blush that was trying to invade the smooth tan of her cheeks.

"Oh. That would be helpful. Thank you!" she told him happily. He grinned right back at her and took her schedule from her, looking it over and directing her in the opposite direction she'd just been walking in. And within the two and half minutes the two teens took walking to Kori's class, they had discussed her virginity to the English language through simple small talk. As you can imagine, that jumped out at the playboy like a neon orange sign, screaming 'Opportunity'.

"You know...if you ever need...an English lesson...just tap on my shoulder. I'd be more than happy to help you out." he told her as the two of them stopped in front of a large red door. Gym. Kori's next class. The gentle redhead looked at him rose one of her slender brows at him, looking his face over, and trying to read his intentions.

"Oh. Thank you. It has been very difficult for me here...your culture is not easy to learn...but...I think I have been getting the hang of it. For example...last time I checked, it wasn't smart to accept English lessons from just another asshole from America who thinks I'm too naive to understand their intentions. Thanks and have a nice day, Dick." she said to him, ending with a bitter-sweet tone and a vicious smirk. Her slender fingers gently slipped her schedule from his absolutely astonished face and she disappeared into the gym with a light smile on her beautiful face, leaving Richard speechless. He just stood there for a moment, trying to pull his foot out of his mouth and make a come back to redeem his momentary cool to the people who stood there staring at him...he couldn't think. He was too shocked that such a sweet-looking exchange student could be such a firecracker. A light grin appeared on his face,

"We'll start round two tomorrow."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Sooooooo...how was it? Lol, did y'all like it?

Please tell me what you thought!


	4. Chapter 4: She's A Mystery

Okie dokie you guys...here's chapter four. Hope y'all like it!  
>It's still one of the old ones, lol, so bear with me!<p>

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

She slowly turned the corner, shifting her direction towards the massive manor that stood grandly at the end of the finely decorated street. The place she was staying for the school year. She glanced at it again, stopping momentarily to study it once more. She had seen it before. Obviously. She was currently _living_ in it. Yet it still mesmerized her in a way that she seemed to catch and captivate every thought that drifted through her head. It took a moment, but she quickly shook off her trance, and continued toward the glorious structure, a heavy bag full of advanced-placement level books, strewn over her shoulder. A countless number of random thought played through her head, reminding her of today's events, makings smiles and smirks dance along her face. It had been a long day. The first day of school, it had been expected.

She over all loved it. She'd made a handful of awesome friends, along with several to talk to in her classes. She'd had countless boys try heaven knows what on her, and follow her around, opening doors, offering to carry her books, offering to show her to her classes... Offering to give her _English_ lessons. They were all the same. She just didn't seem to get why she was so popular. Of course, she was the kind of girl who HONESTLY didn't know how beautiful she was. Nor that her figure was absolutely flawless. Nor that her personality was deathfully addictive for that matter. She saw herself as nothing above the ordinary...yet she couldn't be more wrong if her life had depended on it.

She gently reached forward, lightly lifting the lid of a small box, revealing a small pad of numbered buttons. Her slender fingers danced across the key pad, typing in a rough 30-digits. She then touched her thumb to a small green button on the side of the box, pressing it in gently. It disappeared for a moment into the aluminum base, sounding a soft click. The pretty girl gently closed the box back up. She opened the beautiful gate to the beautiful yard, to the beautiful house, and began walking forward gracefully, towards the entrance to the mansion. Her slender legs lifter her up the front steps and to the entrance of the extravagant house. She quietly unlocked and opened the door, stepping through the opening and closing it behind her, gently flicking the lock securely behind her.

Slowly, but angelically, she walked into the glamorous grand hall, bag still resting heavily on her shoulder. With a light dipping motion, she slid it off her shoulder, down her arm, and catching on her elbow. Then, she carefully swung her arm forward, just far enough to send the bag off her elbow and into the palm of her hand, where she took it into a firm grasp... She gently lifted the heavy pack onto an offering coat rack, setting it down and making sure that it would hold. It did, of course, so she gently let it go and gently turned around, direction now facing the kitchen.

"Bruce, it's me." she called, slowly removing her blue sweatshirt, revealing a simple tee shirt. She lightly wrapped it around her slander waist and tied a knot in the long sleeves, and pulling them tight, securing the shirt to stay where it was.

She slowly continued toward the kitchen, reaching the back wall. She followed it, for no apparent reason. Yet she walked along the wall as if she was tied to it. And perhaps it was so she would keep from getting lost, she didn't really know. And she didn't really care. Just followed loyally along the wall, rounding the corner, and than turning into the kitchen before she collided with someone. The handsome young man's drink splashed all of her, drenching her hair, her face, and her white t-shirt.

The cold water pulled a shocked gasp from her lungs that escaped through her lips, as the icy liquid slowly slipped down her back and chest. A stray piece of icy caught in the front clasp of her light pink bra. Of course, the boy had gotten a light splash, but Kori was soaked from her chest up.

Richard stepped back to acknowledge what had just happened, when the shock exploded on his gorgeous face as he looked the beautiful redhead over in awe. He was shocked for two reasons. One, at the fact that the girl he'd been chasing after all day (the one that turned him down) was standing in front of him in _his_ house. Two, that her shirt was now see-through and the sight of her wickedly curvy and slightly toned figure was making him drool.

It took Kori a moment to clear the shock off her beautiful face, remove her hair from her eyes, and look at the source of her collision, for her jaw to fall to the floor, her eyes to double take, and fresh disbelief to spill onto her flawless features. She immediately took a step back and released a light squeak in surprise. She wasn't sure what to do, nor what to expect from the boy standing in from on her.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she croaked softly, looking him over, studying every one of his facial features, trying to read his motivation. _His_ gaze was shaking violently. He tried to keep his eyes on her face, rather than on her absolutely stunningly jaw-dropping figure. He played her question through his head a few times, trying to think of something to say. He just took a step closer, only to to have her respond by taking a step back,

"Bruce?" she asked, looking at Richard sternly, she knew if she had to, she could take care of herself, but it didn't stop her nerves from flipping her stomach like bacon in a frying pan. She didn't get why he was in her house...or the place she was staying. And he wasn't exactly asking anything too different, counting the current pickle they were in. On cue, the tall dark-looking man walked up from a side door, answering Kori's troubled plea. His brown eyes traveled from Kori, soaked from the chest up, a nervous glance focused on Richard, studying him like a sergeant giving a white glove inspection. And Than to Richard, whose eyes were rotating between him and Kori. A wash of slight relief over her beautiful features as she looked over his rock-hard face.

"OH! I'm sorry. Korina, this is Dick, my son. Dick, this is Korina. She'll be staying with us this year." he said, playing catch up between the two teens. They both had to listen again to what he'd said to them, trying to decide what he'd told them, like he'd said it in a mixture of Chinese and sign language, without using his hands at all.

"Your son?"

"She's staying _here_?"

They asked simultaneously, looking from each other, to Bruce, than back to each other. Bruce just grinned slightly at the awkwardness of the situation. He found it amusing. Of course he felt a little bad for not giving a heads up, but the situation they were sitting in was priceless. Absolutely priceless. He cleared his throat deeply and swallowed the awkward lump in his throat,

"Yes and yes. Korina is staying here from...Egypt?" she just nodded gently, "And will be with us for a year. I have her the balcony guest room." he added, fondly, as he glanced at the redhead through the corner of his eye, trying to keep his gaze on his son, but finding the shock of the pretty girl's face to be too perfect to miss. Richard did too. He hadn't looked away since Bruce had said she was from Egypt. He just couldn't stop staring. His attraction to her was like a chronic infection. It wouldn't stay away. It kept creeping back to the conscious part of his mind...

"I apologize for not mentioning that I have a son, Ms. Korina. It must've slipped my mind. Kind of like how he kept slipping past his curfew." Bruce told her, looking down at Richard (though they were roughly the same height) with a gently detectable irritation in his voice. The gorgeous boy just rolled his icy blue eyes and shook his head, setting his empty water glass on the nearest counter. It took a moment of shifting stares before the situation from moments before became apparent,

"I-I um..." he began, trying to keep his 'cool' but trying to appear apologetic, "You should probably change your shirt." he told her. Kori's face went flat, a light flush licking her cheeks. Bruce took a moment to comprehend what the teen boy had said, before glancing down at her shirt, eyes immediately flying back to her face,

"Perhaps that would be for the best." he said to her, looking her over, than looking at his son, swallowing his tongue and looking down. He cleared his throat nervously and looked between the teens, trying to find an excuse to get away from them...and let them talk.

"I think...I'll go order pizza." he muttered quickly, hastily turning and exiting the room, awkwardly, just happy to out of the line of thunder. Kori and Richard on the other hand, stood staring at each other. It took a moment before Kori gently removed her sweatshirt from her curvy waist and pulled it over her head, smoothing it along her sides, shivering as she touched the wet fabric completely to her skin. Richard's eyes remained glued to her and she did what she did. He wasn't sure why he couldn't look away, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her... At least not until she had finished arranging her sweatshirt and looked up, meeting his gaze with hers,

He felt his entire face turn a candy apple red color. He looked away immediately and picked his cup up, glancing at it, and than looking back up to her. He cleared his throat nervously, forcing a rugged sound from his throat. He removed his foot from his throat with an imaginary cro-bar and looked back up at her,

"Well, I kinda owe you a drink." he said with a slight touch of humor. Kori rose a brow at him, than slid them forward so that they were both arched about her eyes, forcing wrinkles on her forehead. She looked him over in disappointment. She couldn't get how some one could be such an ass... Of course, she didn't exactly expect to hear him apologize, but... Oh well. To her, he didn't seem to have the slightest idea of how to portray humanity, or sentimentality. Simply jackass-ism, if there was such a thing. To her, he looked, or seemed to be the kind of guy who couldn't take anything seriously... He had to make a joke out of everything. He looked as if he could take a perfect opportunity for an apology (and gain at least a change at respect from her) for what he'd just done and turn it into an attempt to push her guard down and get her into his bed. And if her expectations or suspicions were true; than he was the last guy on earth that she wanted to offer the time of day to.

Never the less, she still had to be polite. Other than for the obvious reason, that more tension between them should be avoided (at least while they were living in the same house, and she had no choice but to see him everyday). And two, simply because she was well brought up. Just because this guy seemed like he could handle what she had to dish out, and add flavor to it, didn't mean that she actually planned on it... Though it _had_ crossed her mind. So, deciding she would do what she would, a light (yet extremely sarcastic) smile make its way onto her beautiful face. Richard just sort of sighed in relief at her reaction. He swallowed lightly and rose a brow, waiting patiently impatiently for her reply. Kori just swallowed and smirked, furrowing her brows and nodding to the side,

"I've got a lot of homework." she said to him, simply turning around, gracefully and slowly walking out, leaving Richard for the second time today, standing behind her, both befuddled and defeated. Kori just continued outside. She had fought the urge just to tell hi 'Sorry, you didn't win. Try again tomorrow' but decided against it, trying to keep at least _some_ peace.

She quickly snatched up her bag from the hook, and lugged the heavy thing up the stairs effortlessly. She silently prayed that she could remember how to get back to her room on her own... She really didn't want to have to ask Bruce for directions...Of course...if she were to ask Richard, maybe he would have a bit better game, and prove to her that he's not like every other guy. And she had reason to believe that he was different... He showed in flashes that he has potential to be... But that was beside the point. She had found her room, and lost her appetite, just wanting to take a hot shower and change into sweats. She was in the mood to get warm, lay down, and relax...and from the day she'd been having; she wanted to do what sounded good. She started walking into her bathroom to start the hot water.

While she was doing that, Richard was staring at the doorway she had walked through a few minutes ago, still kicking himself for being so lame. His head was spinning for several reasons he couldn't comprehend. He wanted to reach into his head and find one of the things bugging him, catch it, and pin it down so that he could finally put his finger on what it was. He couldn't of course, but he stood for a moment, trying to contemplate how to do that...

After maybe thirty or so seconds, he walked over to the kitchen table, slowly pulling a chair back and behind him, before he took a seat in it, scooting up to the platform and resting back. As soon as he had accomplished this, his mind fell blank. Or, at least his body did. His mind was still spinning like a sickly sadistic carousel.

There were so many things wrong with what was happening. Not just the fact that he had been turned down. Or that it had been the second time. Or that it had been in the same day. Although...there were definitely a few things wrong with just that. One was the fact that he'd been turned down. And not only that; it had happened twice. He'd only been turned down once in his life. It was because the girl he was hitting on was dating the football/basketball star athlete, over-buff senior. She was a freshman. He was in eighth grade. But that didn't matter now. Yes, he was turned down than, and yes, he was turned down today. That wasn't the shocking part.

The thing that bugged him the most wasn't that he'd been turned down. It wasn't that he'd been turned down twice. It wasn't even that it had been in the same day. The thing that really got to him, was that it was the same girl who'd done it BOTH times. He'd never tried on a girl twice...unless it was to hit her up for a second night. This girl...Kori...she hadn't given him the chance either time. Didn't take his bait. Didn't even seem interested at all. And that was getting to him. Not just that she'd turned him down twice in the same day. It was that he still wanted to try for her. And that she didn't want him.

It made no sense to him. He was Richard Grayson. Richard f-ing Grayson! He could get any girl he wanted. He'd been able to for forever...so...why didn't she go for it? Was it because she was new and didn't know who he was yet? He didn't know...But he was determined to find out.

He wanted this girl. He didn't know what made him want her so badly. He didn't know what exactly was so special about her. What made her so different than all the other girls in the school? It wasn't just that she was beautiful. It wasn't just that she was real. It wasn't just that she was the only girl he hadn't been able to 'whoo' by just grinning. It was something other than that. Something that was attracting him to her. Something that he couldn't quite place...and maybe it was something that he just didn't want to place...

"So what do you think of her?" Bruce asked, studying the slightly troubled boy with the strangest curiosity. Richard couldn't help but glance at the empty doorway where she had stood only moments ago. A light grin began playing with his lips as ideas for tomorrow began playing through his head. He shook his head and swallowed,

"She's a mystery." he said to himself, mentally planning what he would say to her tomorrow...just what he was going to do to make her take the bait so he could reel her it.

He really wanted this girl...

And Richard Grayson _always_ got what he wanted...

XOXOXOXOXOX

Come on guys, please please PLEASE tell me what you thought.  
>I need more feedback from y'all.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5: One Of Those Nights

HAPPY EASTER, everybody:]

I know I put this chapter up a little early…I was just excited! Lol

It's still one of the older ones though, so please bear with me!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

The beautiful blue eyes of the handsome playboy stared blankly at the ceiling with cloudy thoughts spinning around in his head as if brought on by a tornado. He couldn't sleep. Couldn't think…not about anything other than _her_… He'd been thinking almost the entire night about her… About ways for him to win her over… And…he couldn't think of any that sounded the least bit effective on her… He just couldn't. Not if his life had depended on it… And it was getting to him like nothing else. He couldn't understand why she didn't want him! He knew she wasn't as shallow as all the other girls he tried anything on, but… He didn't think that it was enough for her to completely push him away… but obviously it was to her.

He groaned loudly, the strained sound stretched itself into the air and slowly disappeared into the atmosphere… The mood of it seemed to linger, downing the entire room with a cold nip. He knew he wasn't going to be able to get anymore sleep for that night. Any form of drowsiness disappeared from his entire body hours ago, and he was giving up his useless effort to find any more. She'd invaded his every thought and pushed sleep to the farthest part of his mind, making it impossible to reach….

Slowly, but surely, he hoisted his body erect, sitting in a ninety degree or so angle, the heavy weight of gravity trying hard to pull him back down onto the more than ready mattress. He shook the feeling of heaviness and swallowed the dry, sleepless lump from his throat, slowly making his way onto his feet, and catching his balance. Once he did this, he began making his way toward his bedroom door, dragging his feet with every attempt at a step. He growled something under his breath about being tired as he inched toward the rectangular exit. He didn't want to get up yet. Far from it. He wanted to sleep for a day and a half…but this was the better game plan. Far more productive, and it would actually give him some time alone…to plot his plan for the beautifully mysterious redhead…

He cleared his throat and rolled his eyes… How could she have just turned him down like that? He wouldn't understand it…And maybe he didn't want to. She was perfect. And…_perfect_. In every possible inference of the word… He wanted her like nothing else. And she didn't want him. And…well, maybe that was what made her so perfect in the first place. Maybe it was that she wasn't like every other girl who drooled over him and tried their absolute hardest to catch his attention and reel it in…and she just didn't.

She was the girl who rolled her eyes when she passed him, knowing his every intention…or at least thinking she did. She was right, of course. But still…the possible thought of her being wrong tickled his senses. He wanted her to be wrong. He wanted to _prove_ her wrong… Or at least SHOW her that he had the potential to be different. He didn't really want to change who he was. Right now, he wanted her as a notch on his belt… But somehow he had a feeling… A feeling that warned him boldly that she would be different. That (**if** he even got the chance with her) she would be so much more that… That she wasn't going to be unforgettable… Not like all the other girls…Oh well…he would have more time to think about that later… Now was the time he was still planning on how he would get her. So that's what he needed to focus on.

He slowly walked into the kitchen, slowly dragging his feet under the weight of his exhaustion. He hoisted his head up to look around the dark kitchen, before he felt his body jump and his eyes widen slightly. It wasn't that it had shocked him. He just didn't expect to see the beautiful redhead standing in the corner of the kitchen, her back facing him, and her head slightly down. He swallowed, and tried to stay silent, trying to figure out what he was going to say or do. Should he just turn around, walk out, and leave her alone? Or should he talk to her? He thought for a moment…but to no avail. Kori stepped to the side silently, turning to face him and sliding a cup of coffee in his direction, but holding a cup of her own in her hand. Richard furrowed his brows in slight confusion,

"How did you know I was coming?" he asked curiously, taking the coffee from her slowly, watching her with all the fascination in the world. He wanted to know everything about her… more than he had ever wanted to know anything… She was like a fancy brand of heroine and he was finding himself addicted. To everything about her. Her eyes. Lips… The mystery of her… Everything.

"I heard your footsteps. You don't make the most silent entry." She said, tearing him out of his trance and forcing him to turn bright red… Though he wasn't sure what was making him blush more. Either the fact that he'd fallen into a trance while talking to her… Or the fact that the trance was filled with the thought of her… He tried to piece together a response, before a gentle smirk replaced the shape of the redhead's mouth.

"Can't sleep?" she asked him. It was a rhetorical question, of course. But he didn't seem to catch that tone in her voice,

"How can you tell?" he asked her curiously, looking her over with slight anxiety,

"Considering the fact that you're awake at 4 in the morning?" she asked him with a slight touch of humor in her melodic voice. She rose a brow at him and looked him over, raising a gentle blush across his fair features. He didn't expect her to have such a quick answer…though he felt stupid for not anticipating it….

"I take it you couldn't either." He said hastily, trying to keep the conversation going while he had a hand in it at all. He didn't know why she was willing to converse with him, after their _incident_ yesterday… But as long as he had the chance, he was going to live it up. He took a sip of his coffee and looked her over, waiting for her response of whatever it was that she was going to come up with.

"Good observation." She muttered, softly, looking down and staring into the wall as if it were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

"Something on your mind? You look…troubled." She asked after a moment, trying to act as if she was completely emotionless towards him… Though it was obvious (to her, not him) that she was leaking slight compassion. And she kinda hated it. He just swallowed his confusion…along with his slight shock. He'd just been read like a book. And by a girl he didn't even know, nonetheless. He had to have a good reply…

"What about you? What's keeping you up?" he asked her. And though she knew she should have expected it, she couldn't help but feel like he caught her off her guard… But it's okay… She just had to make a quick recovery.

"Just one of those nights, I suppose." He frowned at her answer… that could mean a lot of things. There are so many reasons why a person wouldn't be able to sleep, and he wanted a real reason. Not a bullshit answer to cover up what ever she was really thinking.

"What does that mean?" he asked her curiously, looking her over like a scientist peering into a microscope. He wanted answers. But the look she gave him challenged him. She cocked her head to the side and twitched her left brow slightly as if challenging him to a contest of whit,

"Use your imagination." She purred, almost making him melt to the floor.

"I'm going to hop in the shower. Later _Dick_." She said to him with the most wickedly adorable smirk he'd ever seen. He didn't really get why it gave her so much amusement to say that name…like _that_. Ugh, he hated it. It got to him in a way that just dug its sharp, shiny claws into his fresh skin... Oh…that's why… Because it got to him… Aaaah, she was even more diabolical than he's assumed. Wow… Well now he knows a trick.

Too bad he didn't get the chance to throw a come back at her though. By the time he turned around, she was completely gone. Up the stairs and completely out of sight. He muttered something incoherent about 'strike one.' It took him a few moments of self-interrogation, before he made a decision. So he swallowed, hung his head, and shook it,

"Why the hell can't I understand you…?"

XOXOXOXOXOX

Hope y'all liked it!

PLEASE tell me what you thought:]


	6. Chapter 6: See You In Chemistry

Alrighty...so it's another one of the old chapters...hope y'all like it!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Dick was walking down the halls of his 'kingdom'…or he may as well have been. Gotham High either worshipped, envied, or desired him. Worshipped him because of the skill he held at getting girls. Envied because he got all the girls. And Desired by the girls themselves. And that was the way he liked it to be. This way he had some form of control of every one… With the exception of the school rejects… but in his mind they didn't really need the time of day anyone. So they didn't matter.

So there he was. Walking down the hallway with a coat of confidence painted all over his body, shining with a pompous glow. He was throwing grins to the girls, a wink here and there, just following his usual routine. In all honesty, it meant nothing at the moment. He was truthfully looking for Kori. He'd thought of a few things he would say to her. And he couldn't wait to find her… Speak of the devil… he heard her voice… And had to investigate.

"She said to hand you this slip to transfer to honor's." the gorgeous redhead said delicately as her slender hand reached over the counter to hand the office woman her small yellow slip of paper. Richard studied her in silence, not wanting to say a word to reveal his location. It worked. Kori seemed completely oblivious and she spoke back and forth to the woman, asking a question or two, making completely pointless chit chat while the schedule information processed. A polite thing to do. But not something he had any desire of trying.

Though he found their conversing to be extremely boring, he was caught in a slight trance as he watched her move. He wasn't really looking for anything in particular. It was just how everything about her fell together so perfectly. He couldn't get over how anyone could be so flawless… thought she seemed to fit that description better than anyone he'd ever known.

He glanced from her eyes, down her stunning figure, back up to her beautiful face, slightly tripping over her hourglass curves on his way up. He studied everything about her. How her long, crimson hair cascaded down in the form or a tied back waterfall, held from splashing onto her back by nothing but a hair tie. He looked at how she seemed to glow with absolutely no make up…how her smile could light up the room. How her lips looked like they were begging to be kissed… It gave him chills. Everything about her did. It was unreal that one person could be so perfect…. But she was.

"Alright Ms. Anderson, there we are. Your chemistry will be moved to first period with Mrs. Clomer. English will be sixth. He's your new schedule." Cam the voice of the guidance counselor, pulling Richard out of his hypnotism and forcing a wide, slightly wicked grin on his handsome face. _Perfect. _For him at least… Kori just innocently thanked the woman and turn gracefully, heading for the door.

The playboy didn't think twice before he removed himself from the entrance of the room, and flipped himself around, leaning against the wall behind the open door. He waited the five seconds it took for the redhead to walk through the opening and glance down at her schedule curiously, dancing her eyes across the details of her agenda.

"123H." she whispered to herself, playing the sound of her destination through her head to get herself familiar with its sound. It didn't take any stretch of time before,

"Need help finding it?" Came the extremely familiar voice of Richard Grayson, shooting out from behind her and magically appearing in front of her, standing 'innocently' in the hallway. She seemed unaffected by his 'Houdini' act, as she locked her eyes to his, swallowing the slight irritation of him trying so immediately to win her over again.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll manage." She said to him bluntly. Her voice was sweet, but it was short and to the point. Very little emotion hiding behind the slight appreciation she pasted into it. She wanted away from him. Because she knew what he wanted, and she knew that that's exactly what she didn't. To her, he was just another walking blob of testosterone. Something she didn't need to get involved in on any level. Period. End of story.

"Well you're going the wrong way." He called after her less than a second after she turned her body away from him and began walking in the opposite direction. He rose a brow and struck a grin, waiting for her to turn around and ask for directions…or something of that sort. Kori just grit her teeth, stopping for a split second, turning to look at him from over her shoulder, meeting his eyes and forming a slight smirk with her lips,

"I have 10 minutes. I plan to meet Rachel." She told him 'matter-of-factly,' waiting for his smart ass comment that she knew was impossible to avoid. She watched him scowl at her, furrowing his brow and crinkling his mouth just slightly (which she found strangely unattractive, yet somehow sexy in its own way (before she mentally slapping herself for thinking such a thing)).

"Please don't say Roth…" he muttered softly, knowing with every ounce of himself that she would. He'd seen her talking to her the other day. He just hated Rachel with all he had. And didn't like the idea of the girl he was after hanging out with such a social outcast. He had to give her credit though, she wasn't shallow. Didn't care what other people thought. Didn't care about status. Popularity seemed pointless to her… Nah, she definitely wasn't shallow,

"Roth." Kori snapped, slightly annoyed at the judgmental look on his handsome face. She also wasn't very hesitant of speaking her mind. She was her own person. A wild fire... And that was a contributing factor to how much he wanted her. Though… the current moment he was stuck in, those thought weren't particularly helpful… He needed to think of a comeback before she completely turned the corner and was out of hearing range…

"Alright. See ya in Chemistry." He called down the hallway, hoping she heard. She did. The words echoed in her head, and forced her to grit her teeth in slight irritation. She wouldn't let it show though. Her steps didn't falter, she didn't turn around, she didn't even glance at him as she turned the corner… Just kept walking… Wow… Her turning him down was really REALLY starting to eat at his playboy confidence… He wouldn't let it show of course. He would hold his head high, and keep going. He would get her. He seemed to be sure. …He just had to befriend Garfield Logan… Kori's best friend.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Sooooo...how was that? Dick finally got a shot in at Kori, lol.

Either way, please tell me what you thought!


	7. Chapter 7: Passing Notes

Hey guys...I know i'm getting these chapters up awfully fast...but I'm just trying to get to the point that I have all the old chapter up and running so that I can switch to writing them as I go.

...in short, these old chapters are burning a while in my computer.  
>I hope you like this one, regardless. And I'll probably have the rest of the older chaps up by the end of the weekend, so...stay tuned!<p>

Enjoy:)

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

The gorgeous playboy stood there in the hallway, staring at the… odd boy in front of him. It took everything he had to approach him, his feet dragging reluctantly, as if they were being held back by a glob of invisible adhesive. Though it seemed, that...the moment he began moving, the short boy's eyes locked on him. He watched him carefully as he made his slow way toward him.

"U-uh, hey. You're Gar Logan, right?" Richard asked him, trying to keep his voice decently soft, to keep his friends from noticing that he was talking to one of the least popular kids in the entire school… No one would judge him, considering the fact that he's Richard Grayson… But he didn't want to feel that low. It was pompous. Very pompous. But it's not like he cared. He just wanted Kori. And if these were the measures that it took to get her, than he figured he'd just have to drag through them… Though he didn't really expect Gar's innocent green eyes to light up the way they did,

"DUDE! You know my name? That's like…the coolest thing ever!" he exclaimed happily, an ear-to-ear grin taped onto his jittery face. He almost leapt into the air with his shocked statement, happier than ever to know that one of the popular kids (the MOST popular) knew his name. He just couldn't believe it. And this kinda startled the handsome playboy, who had no idea how to react to such a comment,

"Uh…thanks? Hey, listen, you're friends with Kori, right?" he asked him hesitantly, trying to play it cool and hide the fact that he was completely using him to get to the sexy new girl who just wouldn't seem to give him the time of day. Gar seemed completely oblivious to Richard's scheme, his eyes lighting up with the question, and his grin only widening…which seemed impossible…

"Kori? Yeah, dude, she's **AWESOME!**" he shouted merrily, prancing in place like a puppy that was waiting to go outside. Everything about him seemed happy… and for some reason likable. And Richard hated that fact. He just wanted to ignore any chit chat and get down to business finding out what was with Kori, and how he could find a way to get through that wall she had built up.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Um…what's her deal?" he asked, playing the redhead's words through his mind as he tried mentally, to piece together how the hell she didn't find him attractive, or… He didn't get how she didn't want him. Because he knew he wanted her. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he wanted her. She was like the forbidden fruit… Off limits… but tempting him so strongly for a taste. Gar just stared at him like he was nuts,

"What do you mean?" he asked her, his face twisting with a strangely magnetic look, drawing him closer without any intentions of anything. Richard just shook off the random feeling and looked the strange boy over again, trying to figure out to put his context of Kori in terms that the sweet, uncool boy could understand without misinterpreting.

"I mean she's so different." He said, slightly cursing himself at his choice of words. Gar didn't seem to catch anything out of the ordinary and lit right up at the playboy's comment about the beautiful redhead.

"Yeah, I know. Isn't she awesome?" he yelled through a vent of excitement. Richard was amazed at how energetic he was. He'd expected a shy boy in a shell with a gross sense of humor. Though his sweetness was going over well with Dick, and he rose a brow, trying to slowly and…slightly test the water he was wading,

"You sound like you know her well." he said cautiously. Gar just grinned,

"Well… better than anyone else, I'm sure. Me and Rachel. She's only been here a day though." he told him, saying…he knew her better than anyone here, yes. But she hadn't really been here for any amount of time. And Richard had almost forgotten that fact. But still, he'd got the answer he wanted. So now he got to…wade a little deeper into the water.

"True… Huh, would you be willing to help me out with something?" he asked him curiously, kind of nervous he'd get suspicious and put on a coat of defense against the playboy's intentions…he was pleasantly surprised by the grin that boomed onto the short boy's face.

"Sure dude, anything!" Gar exclaimed happily, once again lighting up widely with the opportunity to help the most popular guy in school, more than eager to leap at the chance. Dick just rose a brow and grinned,

WITH KORI

"Morning, Rae." Spoke the beautiful redhead as she began to twist the combination to her locker into the small dial. Rachel, who was already going through the contents of her metallic cubby.

"Hey, Kori." The dark girl said, not even turning to look at her friend as she spoke. Normally, that kind of behavior would seem rude, but…Kori had already acknowledged that that had just happened to be Rachel's common, everyday behavior. Therefore, she was completely unoffended.

"Sleep well?" she asked her with the slightest touch of evident sarcasm, a light laugh shaking her voice. Rachel looked at her and flashed her a thick, fake smile,

"Heheh. No." she told her bluntly, turning her attention back to her locker and messing around with the books inside of it. She was half asleep, hence her statement of not sleeping. Kori sighed and nodded, punching in the last number of her combination, lifting the switch, and pulling her locker open, taking her bag off her shoulder and hanging it on one of the convenient inside hooks,

"It's okay, there's a lot of that going around." she muttered softly, unzipping her unique bag and taking a tall stack of textbooks out of it. In regards to her comment, Rachel said nothing, nodding in unwilling comprehension. She'd discovered yesterday that something about Kori was not quite right. That she had skeletons in her closet…to say the least.

"So you're in my English now, right?" she asked quickly, trying to pull up a random conversation, not in any mood to talk about anything depressing or wasted. The beautiful redhead glanced at her and nodded,

"Yupp." she replied, "And Chem, with _Dick_, apparently." she said the last part under her breath, though it wasn't quite soft enough for Rachel not to hear it…or not to hear _something_ in an annoyed tone.

"What was that?" she asked, trying to make sure she hadn't upset her knew friend…well, it wasn't really even that. It was more…that she was trying to pin down the source of that negative tone that engulfed her…usually happy and melodic voice. Kori's cheeks turned a like pink out of embarrassment that her friend had heard her, but she quickly shook it off and looked at her momentarily,

"Oh. Richard Grayson is in my Chem now." she muttered, displeased, nearly shuddering at the sound of those words coming from her mouth. She wasn't looking forward to having to sit through class with him throughout the entire year… And…by the look on her plain, dark face, Rachel didn't seem to be very…happy for what Kori had just told her,

"Oh… God, I hate him." she groaned…that was her way of saying 'I-feel-your-pain' although…the redhead was fully unconvinced,

"Yeah? You don't have to live with him. Honestly, I'm just waiting for him to _'accidentally_' walk in on me when I'm changing or in the shower. " she told her without a second thought. Though she meant every word of it. Richard Grayson seemed to her to be someone who thought with his…anatomy. 'Accidents' seemed like they would be extremely likely with him. So she was waiting for them. Patiently. Impatiently. Both. Though…while in her light state of thought, she didn't notice Rachel's face form a look of…surprise.

"You're staying at Wayne Manor?" she exclaimed, expressing more emotion than she had in a very long time, shocking a few passing students as they stared her down in amazement. Kori didn't seem to notice. She didn't really understand why everyone had such a reaction to finding out the fact that she was staying with Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson. Though she didn't care. All she did was look over to her friend and give her a slight nod,

"Mhmm." she muttered, uncaringly, showing such little emotion, it was as if she and Rachel had traded personalities for a short moment.

"Wow… That's um…wow… And let me guess, Grayson's all over you?" the dark girl asked her, knowing the answer to the question before anyone had even partially given any ounce of thought to it. He was the most famous playboy in the city, and Kori was by far the hottest girl in the entire school. Not to mention she was new and didn't know anyone around. She was…

"Yeah. I guess he thinks I'll be easy because I don't know anyone around here… Can't wait to prove him wrong." she said slyly, without a second thought or matter in the world. She didn't give a care in the world about Richard Grayson. She knew he was the guy to stay away from. The guy who didn't have a decent intention in his body, and she hated guys like that.

"Sweetie, if you told him 'no' at ALL, you proved him wrong." Rachel said with a self righteous smirk. Kori didn't even look up,

"I take it he isn't used to hearing it?" she asked…although it wasn't really a question. She knew the answer as the words formed in her mouth, and way before they sounded from her lips. Rachel just laughed,

"Never." she said. Kori smirked,

"Well he better acquire a taste for it." she told her friend, hating the amount of pleasure she got from the wickedness of her statement. Rachel, on the other hand, found it amusing, and offered Kori a devlish smile…though it was short lived by the sound of Gar's short, ungraceful footsteps barreling down the hall,

"DUDES! You'll never guess who I met this morning." Gar exclaimed, an ear-to-ear grin all over his adorable face. It took less than five seconds for Kori's facial expression to disappear as the conclusion clicked instantaneously in her head,

"Dick Grayson." she said bluntly, making Gar's jaw drop, almost to the ground. All the excitement he'd had moments ago was replaced with surprise and…slight disappointment that he didn't get to be the one to break the news of today's most recent amazing-ness,

"How did you-"

"Luck guess. I gotta go." Kori's sharp words cut rudely into her short friend's. The beautiful girl gathered a pile of books in her arms and gently slammed her locker shut, turning to face the hall…only she didn't go anywhere. Instead, she turned the other way and peered down that side of the hall…than she finally turned back to Rachel and Gar, who were staring in confusion at her odd behavior,

"Uh…. Anyone know where room 123H is?" she asked, slightly embarrassed. Gar's face lit up with the question,

"I do! That's my class." he said, shocked at how happy it made him that Kori would be in class with him. The redhead just smirked simply, slowly clicking together the dots in her head. She was slowly gathering an idea at what was happening this morning…though until she had prove, she wasn't jumping to any conclusions. Until she knew anything for sure, she would play along with a smile. So…here she goes…smile…

"Can we go _now_? I have to talk to the teacher." she asked him, BS-ing the last part of the statement, though with a good cause. She wanted to get to class somewhat early… She needed to play her own game.

"Sure thing. The bell rings in 4 minutes anyway." He told her, his naivity forcing a smile on Rachel's face. Gar just nodded to Kori in the direction of their next class and started walking. The girl looked her friend over with a sympathetic smirk, as if to say 'GOOD LUCK!'. But she didn't need it. Kori turned to Rachel and shook her head, her lips forming a sly smile…a wicked smile… As she tossed a wink in her direction, turned…and disappeared down the hall with Gar.

…

A few minutes later, they walked into the chemistry classroom, Gar pointing to the teacher to lead Kori in the right direction, and taking a seat in one of the front tables…the one that Richard sat at. The redhead couldn't help but smirk at the possible outcomes to this class…

"Ms. Anderson?" A tall woman asked her, snapping out of her empty stare, and forcing her to look up. After staring blankly for a split second, Kori nodded, feeling stupid for the pause she'd had. The teacher didn't seem to care, she just offered her a light smile, glancing at the clock and noticing that there was far less time than she'd expected to be. Instead, she cleared her throat and looked around the room, than down to the new girl,

"Just pick a free spot. There's one by Ms. Smith," she said quickly, pointing to a plain girl, sitting next to a guy who was _trying_ to make it inconspicuous that he was holding her hand, "Or between Mr. Grayson and Mr. Logan, or-"

"I'll just sit here. It's fine." she said quickly, cutting the teacher off in mid-sentence and taking a seat in between Richard, whose face was painted with a wide grin, and Gar, who was smiling at her warmly, silently cheering about being able to sit with his friend. And…well, that's about the tie when the class started going…though not even two seconds had passed before Kori's attention was pulled away from the teacher's lecture by a like poke in her shoulder. She smiled gently and turned over to look at Gar, glancing at her and sliding a folded piece of paper in her direction. Kori laughed softly and opened it,

'_Are you good in Chemistry? Cuz I'm rly bad… :/'_

It said in sloppy, uneven print. The gorgeous redhead smiled wider and pulled the cap off her lid, touching the pen to her paper, letting the tip of it swirl around the flat white surface, creating beautiful cursive letters,

'_I manage. I can help ya out if you get lost.'_

Gar grinned and scribbled back,

'_YAY! Thanks Kori!'_

The note said. Kori smiled and glanced at the teacher, to make sure the coast was clear. It was, so she moved her pen to the paper to reply…though…before she could, there was a light tap on her other shoulder. She turned to look at the source, only to see Richard staring at her with a raised brow, as he slid a note to her, copying Gar's motion perfectly. Kori just smirked wickedly and rose a brow, opening the note slowly,

'_So Egypt, huh?_'

She couldn't help but roll her exotic eyes… Eh, she could play along.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Alrighty, so what did you think? lol

tell me whatcha thought!  
>Reviews make all the difference.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8: Cat And Mouse

Ha...only one more of the old chapters left before I start publishing this as I go!  
>I'm sooooo happy, lol...<p>

I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, and pleeeease start reviewing.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Dude! You said you manage! You didn't say you were a super genius!" Gar exclaimed at Kori, him, and Richard began making their way out of the chemistry classroom and down the hallway, in the direction of the redhead and the short boy's next class…although the playboy's was in the opposite direction. Still, Gar's comment didn't go over too well with Kori and she rolled her eyes,

"Maybe cuz I'm not, Gar." she told him through a sweetly amused smile, crinkling her nose at him cutely. Gar just shook his head and grinned wider at her,

"Yuh-huh!" he insisted happily. Kori just roller her eyes again and shook her head,

"Whatever you say." she said, effortlessly…not really in the mood to have a battle of whit, however insignificant, with anyone right now… And Gar seemed to notice, smiling at her and nodding.

"So…you didn't mention you were an expert at flirting." Richard said to her, speeding up his steps and catching up to the two friends, making a tiny bit of head-way, just enough to get Kori to lock glances with his,

"Flirting? Heh." she gave a slight laugh of sarcasm and adverted her gaze from the gorgeous young man, making his face go flat in disappointment,

"Yes, flirting. I've talked to enough girls to know what flirting is, princess." he told her, his tone arrogant, and far too over confident for her taste. So in response, she stretched her foot forward and stepped down on his foot, catching him off from his balance and forcing him to start to fall. She didn't let him hit the ground though. Instead, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back up, surprising him exponentially with her lack of effort. Once she got him back onto his feet, she pulled him close to her, so that their faces were no more than three inches apart.

"Let's get something straight, cowboy. _You…_do not call me princess." she told him, plainly, looking him dead in the eye as if that were his only warning. He was still at a loss of words from her stunt…and her strength, on top of it… He couldn't even think of a smart-ass comment to him as a reply…well…actually…yep. It came to him. It wasn't very good, and indeed, it was delayed…but he had on, nonetheless!

"Got it. Anything else I need to be on the look out for?" he asked her, his voice purely sarcastic, irritating Kori, just that much more. She rose a brow at him and gave him a wicked smirk,

"Yeah, your common sense is a little low." she told him in frustration and forced a fake smile to let him know she was serious…and artificially sincere. Dick frowned,

"Now what's that supposed to mean?" he asked, surprised to find that her comment had bothered her. The redhead gave a fake laugh,

"It _means_ you shouldn't be so presumptive that I'm 'flirting' with you." she said. Dick, again, frowned,

"Well, aren't you?" ha! She knew he was all talk, no walk. She had expected him to be a little cooler about it. A bit better at hiding his confusion…more together. She knew she was running him in circles. It's what she meant to do. She just hadn't expected him to be so…obviously confused by it.

"You're the expert, you tell me." she said bluntly, rolling her eyes and looking away, getting slightly irritated by his honest cluelessness. And he wasn't exactly enjoying laying mystery to a girl for the first time in the world… Though he had to say something…had to at least _try_ to make some sense of whatever Kori was playing with him…

"Cat and mouse?" he asked, nearly desperately…he had to find something that made sense. Something that would justify this girl turning him down so seriously…because he refused to believe that it was because she wasn't attracted to him. He refused to believe that his charm wasn't good enough for her… He refused. And he looked her over, waiting anxiously for her to answer him…and to his dislike, she politely shook her head,

"Nah. I'm not one for silly games." she told him, winking at him playfully before making her face blank and emotionless, making him question the seriousness of her reply. He wanted her to have been joking…though almost everything about her expression told him she was serious… Only…this time, he was unimpressed,

"Well what do you call it than?" he asked. She looked him dead in the eye,

"Honestly?" she asked him, studying his face, so thoroughly, he almost thought about taking his question back…though he realized something… He wasn't **forced** to be in this battle of whit. He _wanted_ to be. He was _determined_ to be…and somehow, that gave him the courage he needed to answer.

"Yeah." he said bluntly. Kori didn't even hesitate,

"I'm waiting to see how long it takes you to catch on to the fact that I'm just not interested." she told him with a lightly satisfied smile. Richard's handsome face formed a scowl and he furrowed his brows,

"Oh?" he managed. Kori laughed softly before morphing her face into one of fake surprise, widening her eyes and making her tiny hands fly over her mouth,

"Oops! Did I spoil the surprise?" she asked him, pausing for a moment, before uncovering her lips and revealing a clever smirk. She twitched her brow in cockiness and locked his glance, strong and deeply. Dick swallowed and shook his head, slightly irritated,

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you really are a bitch, you know that?" he asked, only half serious, but with enough thoroughness to make his statement/question valid.

"With good reason. But yes. I'm fully aware." she told him, not hesitating in the slightest. This threw the playboy back…he'd expected her to be offended… Or he was at least hoping she would react! Instead, her reply was cool and dry, and she showed no reaction whatsoever to what he'd said to her. This made him open his eyes…this time, he read her as a new type of challenge… and this time, he was more confident…and more anxious to throw back a comment.

"Good reason? Enlighten me dear." he told her curiously. She just rose a brow and stared him straight in the eye with slightly amplified intensity,

"I'd rather not. I'm due in choir now, thank you." she said, taking a step ahead of him,

"Choir? A singer?" he asked. He had not intention of letting up. Instead, he sped up even more, cutting her off, turning around, and looking her in the eye, once again,

"No, I play flute. My instrument's just invisible and I'm the only one who has one." she told him sarcastically. Richard tried not to laugh…he was really taking a liking to her attitude…which was odd. He'd expected to have become defensive by her statements…instead, he found them…motivating.

"You're gonna be a challenge, huh?" he asked her, grinning charmingly and waiting eagerly for her reply. She looked at him and discovered that every sense of seriousness had washed from his handsome face. This slightly frustrated her,

"Okay, look. I'm not stupid. I know your intentions. And I'm not falling for them." she snapped quickly. Richard chuckled sarcastically,

"My intentions, huh? You hearing this from who? Ex-girlfriends?" he asked through a curious smirk. Kori just sighed and looked down…she was now really getting tired of this game…it was the same thing she'd expected from him…nothing new…

"Does it matter? Look, we'll be living in the same house for a year. I really don't want us to hate each other for the entire duration of my stay, but I'll be honest, you're making it hard. I want us to be neutral, in the least. But if you can't handle that…" she told him, with every ounce of seriousness in the world. Richard's face softened and he was taken back with her openness. It took him a minute to acknowledge that she was for real, and he looked her dead in the eye,

"I can handle it." he told her, this time, making _her_ take a step back. She looked him over to locate the sense of bluff…though she found absolutely none. Instead she swallowed and nodded weakly,

"O…kay. But really, I have class. I gotta go." she said. Richard's face flattened,

"Oh, you were serious?" he asked, furrowing his brows and looking her over curiously. Kori sighed…there was the bluff. She knew it had to come in sometime…

"I gotta go." she told him, gritting her teeth in anticipation towards whatever asshole comment that was to fly out of his mouth next. To her surprise, there was none. Only this;

"O-Ok. Later, I guess." he muttered, in disappointment at the lack of enthusiasm in her departure. Kori swallowed the dry, unamused lump in her throat and nodded,

"Indeed. See you at the house, I _suppose_." she told him, turning around and sighing…for some reason, she had a feeling she'd have to see him before than… And she didn't like it at all… But whatever. That didn't matter at the moment. Right now, she had to go into the choir room and properly introduce herself… there was a substitute teacher the day before…so she hadn't. And…it was something that she needed to do. Something she was greatly dreading…but something that she really needed to do…

"You're the new girl?" the teacher, an elderly…weak looking man asked, pulling her attention away from her audition dread and forcing her to look over to a cluster of girls, along with the teacher himself, around a small piano. Kori grit her teeth at the name…she hated being called 'the new girl'. But it didn't matter. Within a few minutes, she will be known as Kori. And that…strongly disliked nickname would be a thing of the past… Though…as she was walking towards everyone else, she couldn't help but look back at the window in the door, just in time to see Dick turning and walking away… She didn't even know what made her look…but it didn't matter. He was gone, and now…she had to sing.

…WITH DICK AND GAR…

"You got something to say, say it." Richard muttered to his short new friend as they walked. Since they'd left Kori's company, he'd been completely silent. And…though the playboy'd only known him personally for a matter of…two hours at most…he was positive that the lack of talk was abnormal for the short boy.

"You want to be her friend, you're doing it wrong." Gar said hastily, looking down as soon as he said it. Dick was immediately irritated by what he'd said to him. All he was doing in his head was questioning Gar's judgement and contradicting what he had told him,

"Than…fill me in. This always works for me." he said 'matter-of-factly', grinning inwardly at the usual effectiveness of his approach towards girls. He knew it was effective. He knew it worked. And he knew it _would_ work… Although the look on Gar's face seemed like it was saying something entirely different.

"But she's not the average girl." he said, making Richard stop…because it was true. Kori hadn't fallen for his first attempt…nor the second…OR the _third_…and she didn't really look like she was going to be easy to get to…though…this was new water that he was treading. He wasn't used to being told 'no'. Therefore…he had absolutely no idea how to handle that…

"Well than what?" he asked curiously…actually listening for the first time today. Gar smirked, molding his face into a thoughtful smirk…this time…he really was focusing…

"I'm not gonna pretend to be the expert but… Be…you." He said, kind of guessing what he was talking about…though when he'd run the thought through his head, it seemed to have a decent sound to it. To him, there was a visible logic to it. It really seemed to have a shot at being plausible…though Richard didn't seem to think so.

"Don't I always?" he asked through a cocky grin,

"No, you're always the superficial douche bag who goes through women like they're nothing, and changes sheets more than most people change clothes." came a dark, low voice from right behind the two boys. Richard and Gar quickly turned around to discover the source for it, only to see Rachel standing there with her arms folded, and a very unfriendly smirk on her face. Richard was immediately angered,

"Who the fuck asked _you_, Roth?" he snapped angrily. To Gar's surprise, his friend didn't show any reaction to the cursing language he'd just used towards her, like it would have with anyone else… Though it made him worry… It made him fear that there was _far_ more to come… Rachel tended to be extremely passive aggressive, though…at the moment, all she did was roll her violet eyes,

"Gar told me what you're doing here. And I'm telling you now; Kori…if you hurt her, I swear to you, I'll crush your playboy mentality in a heartbeat." ah…there came the passive aggression. Though, Richard was unimpressed.

"Who says I want to hurt her?" he asked, actually serious for the moment…though that wasn't going to distract her from the fact that he was famous for being a playboy. Famous for…a record number of one-night stands. She didn't like him. No…scratch that. She hated him. For everything she'd ever heard about him. Because she knew all the rumors were absolutely true.

"You want to sleep with her, right? Than what? You're an insensitive prick. It's all ONLY about sex with you." Rachel told him, raising a brow with all the cockiness possible. Dick's face flattened, angrily,

"How would you know-"

"Because I've seen you and I've seen all the bimbos you go with." she growled at him, hatefully. Richard was at a loss of words to what she'd said…he had to come up with some kind of come back…he couldn't let her have this kind of sway over him… Though as they glared, Gar shrunk further and further back…really scared they were about to break out into World War III.

"Really, you want to get with her, I'll help you. But only if it's actually…for something. I'm gonna sabotage the hell out of you, if all she is to you is a hit it and quit it." she told him, with all the seriousness in the world. She'd only known Kori for a day, but…she felt close to her. She felt protective over her. So, if that's what the playboy wanted from her, she wasn't going to let the wheels of his plan to even begin spinning. And…well, this left the playboy and the dark girl staring each other, both throwing a hateful glare at each other's faces.

"Uh…guys?" Gar asked, pulling them from their heated discussion and forcing both of them to turn and look at him, both with blood near boiling,

"What?" Rachel and Richard both asked in a low growl, nearly matching each other's irritation. With the tone, innocent little Gar recoiled and put his backpack in front of him as a shield, in case a hard, random object would happen to be thrown in his direction…which seemed to happen a lot around his dark friend. He cleared his throat nervously and cautiously spoke,

"Class starts in a minute."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Sooooooo...what did you think?

PLEASE REVIEW.


	9. Chapter 9: It's Just A Ride

Alrighty guys...I guess I was wrong. This is the first of the new chapters! I'm sorry, I thought there was another one...  
>But either way, the chapters are LIVE as of now, and I'm going to try and update every SUNDAY, so...one chapter a week, does that sound okay? Or...should I figure something else out?<p>

I hope y'all enjoy this chapter though!

THE STORY IS NOW LIVE!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kori's slender, yet extremely tired legs carried her away from her locker and through the crowded hallway. Her last class had finally ended, and what a long day it had been… She had made first soprano in choir… She discovered that Chemistry wasn't the only class that she had with her new roommate. In fact, counting lunch, half of her day was with him…meaning her school day was going to drag on just a little more than she had expected. It's not that she didn't like him…or…well, maybe it was. His intentions weren't likable…nor was his ego…nor how he simply was convinced he would get her to fall head over heels in love with him just because every other girl he'd ever 'been with' drooled over him. Maybe that's the part she hated the most. …it didn't matter… There was so much running through her head right now, and she didn't want to let any of it affect her until she got the time to relax first. In fact, she was looking forward to getting home and sinking up to her nose in a hot bubble bath.

She stopped for a moment and thought to herself… Had she really just said that? A bath? …she smiled for a moment and thought about it… She'd never had a bath before…she'd always thought about it as a figure of speech, but…after swishing the idea around in her head a little bit, it didn't really sound like a bad idea. In fact, if anything if morphed into a small plan in the back of her mind. It was settled…once she got home, there was nothing to stop her from greeting Bruce, gong up to her room, and slipping into a hot tub of bubbly water. Hmm…and now she was looking forward to it. Maybe she could put her headphones in and just zone out for a little while, before getting her homework done and helping Alfred with dinner. Grr, what did it matter? Why couldn't she just go home and see what happens?

She rolled her eyes at herself and walked outside, slowly. She wasn't really in the mood to walk all the way to the manor…something about her wasn't exactly motivated…so the logical alternative was to simply get on the bus and get a ride home. When she had enrolled, they have her the bus number, so it's not like she had to go into any of this blindly. She just had to get on the bus, tell her to drop her off at the Wayne Manor-which was impossible to do without receiving a dropped jaw, look of envy if the person is female, and slight disbelief-and sit down, waiting to get home. She'd never been on a bus before…but how hard could it be? Really?

Well, at least she was assuming not, as she made her way into the bus yard and found herself staring at a long train of large yellow vehicles. She couldn't help but mentally compare them to large metal Twinkies with dirty windows and ugly black wheels. She hadn't expected them to be so obnoxious ugly things, but either way, she was slightly relieved that they were…she liked the idea of feeling ordinary for a change…maybe she would ride the bus a little more often. She was pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere in the area…considering everything at Bruce's was special and fancy…it felt good to be in the more normal part of society.

Anxiously, Kori began walking along the line of buses, looking eagerly for the number on the side that would match the one floating around in her head, awaiting recognition. A gentle smile spread across her face as she saw '127' imprinted on the side of one of them. She wasn't flaunting her enthusiasm, of course…but she wasn't at all dreading relaxing and sitting as the bus took her home. Not only was it a moment of resting…but it was a new experience, and she was happy with herself for it. So she walked up to it and examined the entrance, before approaching and walking up the large rubber-lined steps.

The bus driver was an apparently short man, though it was hard to tell, considering he was sitting down in an elevated chair. But he looked like he was in his late sixties…perhaps around retirement age. His hair was dark grey and he had a bushy, Mario-like mustache that somehow made him look like the sweet old man figure…and something about him was huggable. The way he looked at her with his bead little brown eyes made him instantly likable to her, and she watched him offer her a light smile or open curiosity,

"Are you new?" he asked her. Phew, thank gosh he didn't refer to her as 'the new girl' as everyone else did… She couldn't even begin to describe how tired she was of hearing people use that to identify her. But this guy was different, and it made her smile at him as she looked him over, trying to keep her gaze from wondering to the things behind her…she didn't want to be rude. Instead, she took a light breath and let the wording of her next phrase or two come into view to her as she thought of a response.

"Yes sir...um...my stop's at the Wayne Manor." she said, gritting her teeth and deciding to tell him up front just to get it over with, and not have to deal with all the gawking and comments later. Just as she'd expected though, he gave her a look of slightly disbelieving suspicion. She didn't think he would be accusing as the other people today had been…but she was ready for all the questions and comments on how 'lucky' she was to be able to spend a year with Dick and Bruce. She swallowed, and looked him over, watching his raise his brows at her and study her, obviously in an attempt to gain some understanding.

"Wha-"

"Please. I've been lectured twice today about what a big deal it is to live there, I just wish to get dropped off." she told him, cutting him off before he had the chance to lecture her. She lightly bit her tongue and hoped that she hadn't sounded entirely rude. Looking at him, she offered a lightly apologetic smile, and waited for some kind of emotion to appear on the old man's face. He wasn't sue what he'd thought about her comment, exactly. It wasn't hostile or anything like that. In fact, it was pretty calm and collected…but he wasn't expecting something as impressive as living with billionaire Bruce Wayne and his son-who happened to be her age. He would've expected her to be eager to boast about sleeping under the same roof as the gorgeous playboy. But no…she seemed touchy and uninterested in it. It was…strange. But no matter. It was none of his business, and he didn't have any desire at all to pry into her personal life.

"A-alright...take a seat." he told her simply, as he gestured towards the numerous seats behind him. She smiled at him gently, extremely grateful that he took her response so well. The grace that she carried seemed to radiate in relief as she offered him a nod,

"Thank you." she said sweetly, as she began her way through the isle, looking for an empty seat among all the unfamiliar faces. Every boy on the bus took the initiative of moving their bags from the seat next to her and grinning as if to invite her to sit and chat. Every time she passed one of them, she'd smile lightly, but keep going, making a point not to say anything. They all watched her like hawks eyeing freshly slain prey…of course they weren't the only ones. There was an outside viewer watching her through the window, his eyes glinting with perfectly placed opportunity. Within a matter of seconds, the handsome playboy climbed the stairs after her and looked across the sea of faces, straight to hers.

"Kori!" he called, making her cringe at the sound of his voice and slowly turn around, "What are you doing? You don't have to ride the bus, I can give you a ride." he told her, offering her a warm grin as she looked him over. She didn't want to be rude…it just wasn't who she was… But she knew his game. His idea of giving a girl a _ride_ was his interpretation of a gateway to make a move on her. They had agreed to be neutral to each other…but that didn't mean she would put up with him trying to get into her pants. She wouldn't. It was as simple as that. She didn't have to be rude about it. She just had to say it.

"Thanks, but I'm not a big fan of motorcycles." she spoke through a bittersweet smile. Richard rose a brow, slightly disappointed by her ease of rejection. He'd never met anyone that was just…naturally immune to his charm. She had a way of turning him down that…only made him want her even more. She was like a drug…every time she said 'no' he went into withdrawal and had a craving twice as strong. She was a challenge. There was no doubt about it. But he had never lost at this before. He certainly wasn't going to start now. Especially not with someone so special.

"I brought the Mustang." he told her simply, twitching his right brow a touch, as if challenging her to counter that. She was in the midst of replying, before a large dark-skinned teenage boy began stomping up the steps of the bus with a wide grin spread across his face.

"Hey, man, I didn't know you were riding today!" he said to the famous playboy. Dick turned to him and smirked at the sight of his friend…he could only imagine the fun thoughts he was trying to play through his head. The only time he ever rode the bus was when he did something incredibly stupid, destructive, or some combination of the two of them, and Bruce made Alfred hide his car keys. It was his 'punishment' and it was generally effective. Dick's 'rich boy' attitude was always enflamed when he was forced to take public transportation, and his ego was always dangerously enlarged, with a touch of bad mood. In short…Vic knew this meant he was in store for a potentially amusing ride, and he was eager to hear the story. Richard's grin, unfortunately, let him down a bit.

"I'm not, I'm just grabbing the new girl." he said with a sly undertone that would prove suspicious to the gorgeous redhead that was standing behind him with her arms folded and her brow raised high,

"The 'new girl'?" she asked him, slightly insulted that 1, he was talking about her as if she weren't even there. And 2, she hated being called that at all, but by _him_ she was down right irritated her. Richard seemed to notice, but he was more in the mood to let her wriggle for a moment or two…see if she liked how it felt being the one trying to pursue. …at least that's how he saw it. He didn't know that he was indescribably wrong…but he would definitely find that out in a matter of minutes. Vic looked over to her and swallowed…he couldn't deny the slight stab of jealously that poked into his side.

"New girlfriend?" he asked…and had Kori not been standing right behind him, he would've made a comment containing either 'I wish' or something revolving around 'not yet, but soon.' But of course, she _was_ right there, so his distasteful remarks stayed in his head, and instead of speaking his mind, he improvised a poorly done introduction,

"Nah, this is Kori. She's staying at the manor for the year." he said simply. And this was the point that Vic was jealous… The most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his entire life…was staying with him? For a year? Under the same roof? He looked Kori over, than turned to Dick with a brow sharply cocked,

"Damn." he said…but this was about the point where Kori was irritated enough to say something. She didn't like sounding rude…but she knew that her roommate was doing this on purpose and that burrowed the hell out of her. It wasn't pride or ego that fueled her…it was principle and karma. She didn't like him standing there and treating her as if she had earned being ignored and taking the place as the peanut gallery. And she wasn't going to put up with it. He was about to find this out about her.

"You know I'm still standing here." she spoke simply, without holding the slightest trace of conviction nor sarcasm in her voice. The sweet sound of her melodic voice gave him a touch of regret that he'd even began playing mind games with her. So he turned to her for the first time since Vic appeared and furrowed his brows, looking right at her. Their eyes met for a moment but she didn't falter in the least.

"Yeah, sorry. You ready to go?" he asked her…but she swallowed and thought for moment. Yes, she was ready to go. Just not…with him. She didn't like the idea of being alone, sitting in a car with him. She knew she could defend herself if she tried anything…though she had faith that he wouldn't try against her will. She didn't know if she wanted to trust him just yet…but he had that way about him that just…told her that under all the ego and all the power he had going to his head, he really was a good guy. She just didn't like how he was portraying himself and wanted nothing to do with his 'head-up-his-ass' routine.

"Umm." she muttered, hoping he would see she didn't want to and take that as a 'no' so that she didn't have to actually say it. …but she knew him well enough already. He wasn't going to give in that easy. It wasn't just making things easy on her. It was also like a game to him…and just letting it go as if it were nothing was not how he intended to play.

"I promise I won't bite." he told her thought a grin. This got slightly under her skin. She took a step back and scoffed at him, trying to fight the urge to threaten him with the fact that she just might. Vic seemed to notice the evident discomfort on her face, and offered her a comforting grin, leaning in a hair to get her to look at him,

"If it makes you feel better, I'll come with yah." he offered gently, looking at the pretty girl with a light smile. She was slightly surprised by the sweet nature that was contained in his voice and smiled back, giving him the kind of gaze that would substitute for a 'thank you' if taken into the right hands…and Vic's were the perfect hands for the job. Dick just swallowed as he noticed the two of them had somewhat established that they're in good possibility to form a friendship already. He was jealous that his best friend had already made more progress with her than he had. …of course…Vic wasn't trying to jump her bones. But either way, it got to him. Of course, his pride wouldn't at all let him show it, so he looked at him and rose a brow,

"You want a ride?" he asked him, curiously. Vic just looked at him and smirked shaking his head, kind of surprised that his friend wouldn't know the drill by now.

"Nah, I'm kiddin' I promised Karen I'd sit with her today, so-"

D: I get it." he cut him off with a wide grin and a tone that hinted to something she would deprive him if he stood her up. Vic was instantly angered, but didn't want to threaten him or get too mad the first time he was meeting Kori…he had to leave her with a good impression. He could just threaten Dick at a later time…though given the training he had…Vic didn't know if he would even be able to do anything given the chance. Either way, right now, his job was to be the good sport in this. So he rose a brow at his friend and looked him over with irritation, waiting for Dick to look back at him before he replied.

"Don't push it." his remark was short, sweet, and to the point, but given the fact that Kori was standing right by the two of them, he knew that he could get away with virtually anything tease-wise with his friend right now. The only thing is that he had to be careful about what he said around her, so that he wouldn't appear to be an asshole. He didn't want to make that impression on her. That's the last thing he wanted her to think of him. …though maybe it's better than 'womanizing whore'. But in truth, he didn't want either to rub off on her. He needed to be careful…but he would get to her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." he told his friend, before turning to his beautiful roommate, "Kori, you ready?" he asked her. She froze and looked at the wall, trying to think of something more polite to say than just 'I don't want to be in a car with you' …she didn't know why she felt so put off right now. Usually she could put up with his crap and than some, but right now…maybe she was just tired. But that didn't change the fact that she was standing right next to him and had to respond to his question right than and there. So she simple said the first thing that came to her mind,

"Uh…" Psh, great line, Kori. But she wasn't sure what to say. She was uneasy with the idea of being alone with him in his car. She knew she'd be safe, but…she just was…nervous? Maybe. Richard looked her over and seemed to sense the trouble in her eyes. It was kind of strange to see something other than her resistance to him, but it was relieving, none the less. He looked at her and waited for her to look back at him, before he surprised her with a warm, and very comforting grin. She was taken back by the nature of it, but wouldn't let it show.

"Look, you can trust me, okay? I told you I could handle it." he told her…only this time, no ego…no undertones…just sincerity. Kori fought the urge to smile at him, but felt the corner of her mouth curving upward without confirmation from her head first. She was quick to act in forming it to a smirk…but she looked him over and strengthen her look,

"Alright…we'll see."

XOXOXOXOXOX

So this is the first of the NEW chapters!

I'll update this coming Sunday! Unless once a week is too long, though I think regularity is something that's...beneficial.

Either way, please tell me what you thought!

The story is now LIVE:)


	10. Chapter 10: Nurse Stuff

Ha, right on time! All of you (who replied to my question) said that updating once a week was too scarce… So I'm going to do my updates twice per week and a half… So a new chapter every 4-5 days or so. Hope this is okay!

I know this chapter isn't the longest one every, but either way, here y'all go!

I hope you enjoy this one!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kori and Richard were sitting together at the kitchen table-actually getting along for once, if you can believe it-each of them tending to a plate of pepperoni pizza rolls. The redhead had a small puddle of ranch dressing on hers, to which she was using as dip for her convenience Italian food. Richard had tried to tease her about it…but she quickly tried convincing him to try it. He didn't budge…but it sure shut him up. They were eating their bite sized snacks in silence now…glancing at each other, awkwardly, neither one of them willing to be the one to break the silence. Maybe it was a matter of pride…maybe they were too shy to be the first to speak… But either way, the only sign of any kind of sound were the crickets complaining about the silence.

Richard grit his teeth and beat his ego down with an imaginary bat, deciding he couldn't take it anymore and was going to be the brave soul to speak first. But thankfully, he didn't have to be. The instant he opened his mouth to speak, the sound of the garage entrance opening and slamming shut, signaling the arrival of (most likely) Bruce. A smile found its way to the beautiful girl's face as she acknowledged the sound, and she rose to her feet, eager to greet him as he walked through the door. She knew it was childish, if not a little pathetic, and she wouldn't dare let Richard know anything of the sort. But Bruce felt kind of to her temporary father-type figure. No, Bruce Wayne, wasn't exactly the parental kind of man…but he gave Kori that sense of care and safety that one's parent would be expected to provide. So even if it was a mutual feeling, she still looked at him as her pretend father. It was her little secret.

She pushed her chair in and turned to the door, anxious to see him come through the opening and tell her about his day. Her eyes studied the door thoroughly, as the anticipation filled her like water to a glass. Unfortunately…the handsome and always cleanly put together man didn't seem like his usual self as he appeared through the door way. Instead of being carried through a stretch of confidence and composure, he limped into the quiet kitchen, clearly trying to hide the sting of pain coursing through his body. Kori's face immediately adopted a sharp radiation of concern, and she raced over to him, placing one of her slender hands on his broad shoulder and looking him over for any other injury that might be invisible to the naked eye.

"Bruce! Are you alright?" she exclaimed, taking a step away from the handsome billionaire and adopting the liberty to pull out a chair for him to sit down and rest whatever injury he had sustained. She couldn't help but furrow her brows…he did this at a business meeting? She swallowed before she felt the need to start asking some questions that she probably had no right to ask. Bruce simply looked up at her as she help him lower down onto the wooden seat. He couldn't' help but feel touched by the amount of concern in her eyes, but refused to let it show. Not in front of Dick, anyway. It was amazing how everyone here had already begun to get attached to her. She'd only been here a few days. He tried not to smile…regardless, the situation at hand seemed to call for more attention than his enjoyment of her sentimentality.

"I'm fine, Korina. Rough meeting. Fell down some steps. Those men are real _Jokers_." he said, slurring the last word by gently rolling it off his tongue. His grey-brown eyes looked up to his young adopted son, and he gave him a look that mentioned that he meant more than the simplistic version of what he'd said. Richard's face fell flat and there was a moment of silence as he grit his teeth looked down at his mentor with strong and interrogating eyes.

"Well maybe if you bring me with you next time, this wouldn't happen." he told him through a subliminal hiss. Bruce wasn't amused. The tone of his voice was a bit more obvious that there was something behind that of which they were speaking…and no one could possibly accuse Kori of being stupid. Richard hoped she hadn't caught his entire tone, and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye to see if she looked suspicious of anything… She didn't seem to. She was over by the sink, fidgeting with something on the counter. He turned to Bruce and have him a 'no harm no foul' look…but it didn't seem to do much. His father-figure just gave him a light glare,

"You have school. It was just a meeting, Dick." he spoke to the teenage playboy before gesturing over to Kori who was walking innocently back towards the two of them with an innocent look on her face. She was clutching a clear plastic baggie full of ice cubes that was wrapped in a light blue wash cloth. Richard looked her over, lightly fascinated by how far ahead she was of the situation. He couldn't get over how sweet she was without even…trying to be. It was apparent that what she was doing was to help Bruce out with his ankle, or…whatever was hurt. He liked this about her… Bruce didn't even have to ask her or anything. She took the matter into her own hands. And Dick was greatly impressed.

"Here, Bruce…put ice on your ankle." she told him sweetly, as she handed him the clothed baggie that had been in her hand. He took it with a raised brow, looking at her and waiting for her to finish the statement that her tone had given slight runway for. "In about fifteen minutes, we need to wrap it in a hot cloth. That should reduce the swelling and generally make it feel better." she finished, melodically. Bruce offered her an extremely thankful grin, while Richard stood a couple feet aside from them, surprised at how smoothly that had come out of her mouth. Kori looked between the two handsome men, and she flashed a light smile to them both. The one to Bruce was meant to be comforting and/or reassuring. The one to her roommate, more of a 'please stop staring at me, he'll be fine' kind of smile.

"Thank you, sweetheart." the owner of the manor spoke softly. She nodded happily to him, and opened her mouth to reply, but Richard beat her to it.

"Wow, you seem to know a lot about nurse…stuff." he said, mentally cursing himself for how lame he must've come off as. He wanted to wrack up some point with her, as we all knew, and the fact that he was sounding like a moron wasn't going to amount to any kind of a score. In fact, it seemed evident that Kori was thinking the same thing. She turned slowly to look at her gorgeous _acquaintance _and rose a brow. There was more of an amused tease on her face as opposed to an annoyance for his lack of term-knowledge.

"Stuff? I should…I took classes back at home. I was the only one." she told him through a cocky-if not, a little sexy by his standards-smirk. The air became a little sticky with tension between the two of them, as they both silently, and simultaneously agreed to enter a small battle of wits towards each other. By now, they were pleasantly getting used to one another's remarks and were learning how to counter them without much thought. But the idea that Kori had told him that she was basically a nurse, piqued his interest, and his eyes looked her over. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions before he got the chance to fully comment.

"Sure they're not missing you?" he asked her, studying her beautiful figure, and trying to make It to where he produced the kind of aura that gave her an idea that he was trying to get to know her and help her feel comfortable about talking to him. She noticed this and was appreciative…but the subject itself weighted heavily on her. He didn't know about her life back home…nor did he know how any of it worked. Were they missing her? No, not a chance. But what did that have to matter to Richard? She fought to put a clever smirk on her face and swallowed delicately, looking at him and trying to make it look like she was unbothered about anything they were talking about.

"I think they're doing just fine." She told him plainly…and though it was more of a BS reply, it wasn't by any means untrue. Richard gave a look of slight disappointment, and he looked down at the floor, trying to piece together the words of his distaste of the conversation.

"I sure wouldn't be." He muttered under his breath, and knelt down to Bruce, raising a brow and getting close enough that having Kori overhear what he was about to say, was no way an option. "We could use a nurse on our _team_." He told his mentor, eagerly as he gathered his hopes together and raised them up high, glancing over at his beautiful redheaded roommate, and then back to Bruce with a smile on his face. The older man looked displeased. He flashed his adopted son a lightly heated glare, and studied him momentarily. He knew that there was slowly developing chemistry between the two of them. But he also knew that reality didn't allow any wiggle room for something to happen between them. Not only were they roommates…not only was she leaving at the end of this year…not only was she a sweet girl, and he a bad boy with a _very_ bad reputation… But he also had a hidden aspect of his life that she couldn't get involved in without being put in a great danger. No…Bruce didn't like that idea one bit.

"No. We leave her out of all this." He hissed to his young pupil, throwing him the strongest death glare he could muster. Dick almost crumbled under the tight heat of his gaze, but he was thankfully saved by the bell. The doorbell. Kori looked between the two boys, waiting for one of them to say something and smirking at the obvious tension between the two of them. Richard was the first to take advantage of the disruption, and he rose fully to an upright position and smirked, glancing to his roommate, to his father, radiating a thick pride throughout himself.

"That's gotta be the pizza." Kori's melodic voice rang out, making Bruce's face fall flat with slight annoyance, as well as a simple touch of surprise. His cloudy eyes looked from the two teenagers, trying to make some kind of sense of their decisions…

"Pizza? Again? Already?" he inquired as he continued to look them impatiently, waiting for an answer. Richard knew that Bruce really wasn't the biggest fan of pizza in the world. And if that wasn't enough, they'd just had it a couple of days ago…the night before last, if he recalled correctly. The two teenagers smirked at him with looks that seemed as if they belonged on a tv sitcom. The room was silent for a matter of moments, before their old English butler came formally walking in, carrying two large pizza boxes so collectively, that it almost looked as if he had been practicing all throughout his younger years. Gracefully, he twisted his arm around, bending his wrist lightly, and setting the boxes down onto the small wooden table.

"Here you all are, the pizza is served." He spoke in that smooth accented voice. A light giggle sounded from Kori's lips, and she turned to the elderly man, and looked him straight in his faded brown eyes,

"Thank you, Alfred." She said, sweetly. Alfred grinned at her and gave alight nod, because Richard's handsome face broke into a smile.

"Dig in."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Hip, hip, hooray for a new chapter! Lol

Did I do alright? I know it wasn't the most eventful, nor…a very long chapter…or anything of the sort. But I thought it was decently amusing and gave the story a touch of foreshadowing.

I'll be sure to update soon!

Please tell me what you thought guys, I'll be glad to hear it!


	11. Chapter 11: A Challenge

Well…I found out that I had put the wrong chapter up for #10, and skipped the car ride between Kori and Richard…but seeing as how it's already been done, I suppose I'll just go on with the story. Sorry guys! Lol

But um…yes! I'm updating on time! Ha, I'm happy.

I hope you guys like this chapter!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

The ending credits of 'The Island' were scrolling their way across the screen, and the four people in the room release a large simultaneous yawn, going in this order: Alfred, Richard, Kori, and then finally to Bruce, who glared menacingly at the row in front of him for passing on their drowsy side effect onto him. There was a calm silence that filled the air as the room's occupants tried to figure out the right thing to say for a moment like this. It wasn't quite late enough to go to bed…but it just the right position on the clock to make putting in a second film as waste of the night. Each of them were thinking the same thing…how to excuse themselves and plot how they were going to finish off the last few hours of their evening.

"Well that was a good movie. Good pick, Dick." Bruce was the first to speak, lamely as he turned to his son and gave him the kind of gaze that hinted a light 'Atta-boy'. Kori's eyes slowly followed his lead, though she was trying to be discrete about it by looking at him through the corner of her eye…at least until she worked up the courage to fully turn and view him. Richard's deep eyes navigated slowly around the people in the room, but it was a small challenge to keep his gaze from lingering on anyone in particular…even though there was one person he wanted to stare at. But thankfully, he didn't have to fight back his urges. The subject of his light obsession slowly began watching him through a bright jade stare. He locked his eyes with Kori's for a moment and they shared a short glance,

"I agree, it was really good." She told him simply, leaving the playboy lightly surprised by the idea that she'd just actually paid him an indirect compliment. He tried to hide the look on his face that let everyone in on she shock that clouded his expression. He wasn't the kind to let someone's comment immobilize him, no matter how temporarily. So he turned reality back on his side, looking the beautiful redhead over with a warmly suspicious smirk, taking in every detectable emotion from her exotic face.

"Thanks." He told her plainly, though on the inside, he was lightly cheering. Kori smiled at him, happy to accept his uncocky-for a change-response. She was already beginning to take a liking to the side of him that didn't involve polishing his ego, or racking up points on what he made out to be her good side. She didn't like the playboy side of him…but that didn't matter. Because right now, as it were, he was staring at his gorgeous roommate, looking her over with open eyes, trying to come up with words that would pull her into more of a conversation, aside from a blank comment about the movie he had picked out having been enjoyable. It was as if the theme song to jeopardy was playing in his head, as he studied her, trying to think of something that they both would want to talk about… But it seemed that his imaginary time limit ran out, as she rose to her feet, and gave a light stretch, looking at her three-man audience.

"I'm about ready to turn in. Goodnight everyone, I'll see you in the morning." She sang gently, offering everyone a light smile that made the room seem to glow. This, however, surprised Richard. He glanced at his (very expensive) watch, crushing his brows lightly together as he looked her over, with eyes that were confused and slightly bothered,

"It's just past nine, you're really going to bed already?" he asked, ignoring the glare that his comment had earned from the two men sitting next to him. Kori didn't seem put off by his comment though…not like Bruce and Alfred would have thought she'd be. Instead, she locked her eyes with him and offered him the kind of look that would make most men melt. In fact, the only reason he didn't liquefy under her gaze, is because he was repeating the situation over again in his head and not paying full attention to her physical position…which was a struggled because she had the kind of looks that were nearly magnetic to the eyes of any straight man. She didn't care though…she was wise beyond her years, needless to say. What girls her age would think of as disrespectful or 'ignoring them', Kori simply viewed level-headedly, making up the excuse for them that they were thinking of a reply, or trying to get their thoughts straight before confronting her. But it didn't matter. Her jade eyes circled him, and she waited for him to return her gaze before she gave him a sharp smirk,

"Well I was going to take a shower and read a little bit, it that's okay with you, sir." She told him sarcastically. He knew she was simply pulling a joke on his controlling expense, but he still felt the need to play along and raise a brow, cocking a touch of attitude into a visible angle of his face, making it clear he was in it to win it with her.

"And if it's not?" he asked, momentarily worrying whether or not he'd come off as sounding sexist or not, but quickly shaking it off. Kori couldn't hide the fact that she was slightly annoyed by the fact that, even jokingly, he gave a sense that she cared about what he thought. But it didn't matter. She was smarter than that, and refused to let him win something as simple and meaningless as a light and playful tongue battle. One of her slender brows arched into a dangerous curve, which made Richard take a metaphorical step back, taking in a breath, and waiting for her reply, wondering worriedly if he'd stepped over a line she'd drawn in the sand. Of course, the light curl of the side of her mouth seemed to lighten a little bit of his tension.

"Than that really sucks for you." She told him…only there was no joking tone, nor tease in her voice. It was put as simple as that. He frowned at her, and watched as she gracefully turned and walked clear out of the room, leaving its inhabitants to be Richard, Alfred, and, of course, Bruce who was grinning at his son, pride glinting off of him sharply, as he watched Kori leave the room with no sense of remorse or annoyance radiating off of her in the least. Richard seemed aggravated by the look on his mentor's face, and he looked at him through a pair of narrow eyes, letting a touch of a glare slip through the thin slits.

"What?" he barked, looking him over with slight anger rising. He didn't really want the answer to his question…he didn't want to know why the look on Bruce's face was glinting with satisfaction for the moment. But of course, he'd already managed his question, so…the only thing he had left to do was wait for his response…thought the playboy was anything but amused by his attitude. He knew that this wasn't going to be good…not for him, anyway. But regardless, Bruce's grin only widened.

"How's it feel, Dick?" he asked through his moment of shine. Richard clenched his jaw discretely and tried to keep from showing that Bruce's words were beginning to get under his skin. He had to play it cool…his ego was his biggest advantage, and he had to keep it incognito to the naked eye.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He blurted, rushing the sound of his words to the point where there was no way he could hide the fact that he knew he was messing up. If not just a little bit. Bruce couldn't help but grin widely…he didn't want to make his son feel bad…that wasn't his aim in the moment. But right now, he was trying to put him on the spot and squeeze a little bit of confession out of him. But…if any of you know Bruce Wayne, you would know that he's not the kind of person who openly pries or emits any kind of jokes or teasing.

"If that were the case, I would feel the need to rub it in." he said, simply, looking up at his now-standing son with a raised brow. There was something about him that had a naturally wicked touch… He didn't have to produce much tension in his tone…he didn't have to use much facial expression…he didn't have to _try_. He was intimidating by his own nature. There was something about him that made all of your dirty little secrets come out into the open. He didn't have to try. He didn't have to use any specific motions or efforts…it was in his eyes. In his voice. It was weaved into his composure…but Dick was all too familiar with it. By this point, unless he had something big to hide, he was completely unaffected by it at his current age.

"So what's this?" he asked, raising his brow at the middle-aged man. He didn't like when people could read his emotions. He was used to being the kind of guy who could put on a façade of any kind, no matter what was on his mind, and keep in completely hidden from anyone who tried to look at it. He kept a metaphorical mask over all of his emotions, and it was his greatest talent. Therefore…when Bruce would test the waters and mess around with it to see what he could get away with…it couldn't get further under his skin than a freshly sharpened razorblade. But of course, if it were only that simple…Bruce very well knew about this. In fact, he quite constantly made a point to poke at his cover with an imaginary stick.

"Recognition." He muttered, sitting back an inch or two further into the couch, and looking at Alfred with a light touch of a grin, as to hint to a touch of oncoming victory. Too bad Richard wasn't anywhere near ready to admit defeat yet. His ego wouldn't allow him to lose. Especially not this easily. And especially not to Bruce Wayne. It may seem stupid…but when you're a 17 year old teenage boy, pushing your pride aside and focusing more on the truly important things is far more difficult than it sounds.

"Oh yeah?" he managed, keeping an extremely cocky face in addition to a sharply risen brow. Bruce grinned at the face he made and mimicked his facial expression as if to silently mock him.

"Quit underestimating her, Dick." He warned, "You're only making a fool of yourself." But his words only seemed to frustrate the young man. He felt slightly unvalued. He had proven his mastery over getting women. He was now the top playboy in all of Gotham City, superior, even to his great mentor. Having his so-called father questioning his womanizing abilities was like a huge kick in the balls…or at least, to most people. Richard-while slightly insulted-saw it as a challenge. He'd never been turned down before. Kori was the first. She was also the first to actually give him a chance as a human being, instead of a billionaire-slash-god. She was quick to identify him, and even quicker to pull up a wall that kept him from getting to her. Richard had mixed feelings about this. He didn't like how she was so immune to him. But he loved the challenge…it only made him want her more.

"I think I'm doing just fine, Bruce. Thanks for the encouragement, though." He muttered, sarcastically…though he wasn't paying much attention. He was busy mentally playing back the moments that had passed between him and the beautiful redhead, and trying to find a flaw (if one did exist) in her shield against his charm. Bruce's face flattened with his son's reply, and he looked him over, trying to be some moral sense into the handsome young playboy.

"You're hitting on our exchange student. You really expect me to encourage you?" he asked rhetorically. Now it was Richard's turn to spat back. It was very true that the lovely Kori was the exchange student, innocent to America's ways and so on…but he wasn't fooled. The _moral_ approach would tell him not to try anything with her due to her cultural naivety and inability to escape him…but he'd never seen anyone so magnificent in his entire life. Not only was she stunningly beautiful…but she had a way about her that made her impossible to avoid. She was a mystery to him…and every moment he spent with her felt like a cliffhanger from a novel. He couldn't wait to see what happened next, and he couldn't put the book down.

"You really expect me to refrain?" a piece of him mind slipped through his mouth and gained its own volume. Bruce frowned again, his face flattening, and his brows crinkling. It was clear that he was not amused by this.

"Well, I was hoping." He muttered…but Dick grinned.

"Have you seen her?" he asked, stretching out his words to express the sheer pull of his tone. He knew, of course, that he had. There was no way for any of the men sitting in the living room to admit that she was anything short of drop-dead gorgeous. Richard didn't mean to sound so arrogant, and in the back of his mind he was praying that Kori couldn't hear him. He didn't want her to think that all he viewed her as was a piece of ass. He'd crossed that option off the first time or two that he ever passed words with her. He knew she was far more than that…but for argument's sake, he couldn't let it show. His defense currently was that she was irresistible. For all intensive purposes, that's all Bruce needed to know about it. She was gorgeous…therefore, she was in his interest list. But his mentor didn't like this. He wanted to keep him away from her. He didn't like the idea of sexual tension between the two of them. Especially, given the circumstance, she was living there for the entire year.

"Don't mess with her, Dick. She's a sweetheart. She doesn't need you trying to get her in the sack." He told him sternly, narrowing his eyes into small brown slits, and began radiating a light glare. Dick was completely unaffected. Instead, he took this as the walkway to his victory, and he grinned widely. Bruce didn't like the look on his face…it was unsettling and acted as a prelude to something bad… But there was nothing he could do about it, and he knew it.

"Well she's a big girl, Bruce. Why don't you let her decide that?" Richard asked. But before Bruce got the chance to answer him, he was gone. Disappeared around the corner, and his footsteps could be heard going up the stairs. It was clear he was making his exit audible for a reason…most likely to rub in the fact that he won, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He was childish at times, there was not denying. Bruce turned angrily to Alfred, taking in a deep breath and swallowing the lump in his throat,

"I'm not going to win this one, am I?"

XOXOXOXOXOX

So…yes, I suppose that it wasn't the most eventful chapter known to mankind. But I can't say I don't find it amusing enough. Bruce and Dick are at it once again! Dick still hasn't gotten anywhere with Kori, because she still thinks he's a butt. And, of course, she's at least halfway right! Lol

I hope you guys liked it!

Please tell me what you thought!


	12. Chapter 12: Beautiful

Alrighty guys. I've updated on time! Umm…I'm not too sure how great it is, but either way…I hope y'all enjoy it!

Oh…and in a review I got, I was told that Richard wasn't Bruce's real son. Yes, I know this. Lol. He was taken in by Bruce after Dick's parents died in the circus. Thanks for the information. But I am well informed:]

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kori stretched the thin black tie over her long red hair, pulling It tight, and repeating the process twice more to pull off a neat ponytail. She hadn't slept well that night and was just hoping to get through the day quickly and painlessly. She had no make up on-which she rarely did-and didn't bother doing anything with her hair, which meant it was a curled mess (as she referred to it…in reality, it looked surprisingly good.) She had put on a plain blue t-shirt, camouflage pants, and blue and white tennis shoes. Nothing fancy…but than again, she was Kori. She was radiant, without even having to try. She could be in sweats, a crappy shirt, and have her hair in a mess and she was the kind of girl who would still be beautiful. Though she didn't know that, so it seems it was irrelevant to her thought process of that day.

She reached down to her messy bed and took the handle of her school bag in her grasp, hoisting it gently up and over her shoulder, hanging it there securely. She riffled through it for a moment to make sure she had everything she needed for the day, and once she confirmed her preparation, she began walking out of her room with her head in the dismal clouds above. The hallway seemed a mile long today, and a sigh escaped her lungs as she began down it, heading for the stairs. She couldn't help but think of how the mansion seemed to remind her of a hotel…several rooms throughout each hallway…one staircase at each end, with the grand in the middle…she smirked to herself and turned the corner, trying to imagine "Wayne Inn" on the front of the building, before she collided with someone. Upon careful observation, she identified him as Richard Grayson, and swallowed and she met his gaze,

"I'm sorry, Richard…I wasn't paying attention." she said simply, much to his surprise. He'd been expecting something more along the lines of a fake insult or accusation…not an apology. So far, he liked the way this morning was going. He'd slept alright, had a good dream…the rating of it could remain anonymous, but it was about a certain redhead that was standing about a foot away from him. Either way, he was surprisingly satisfied with the first words they had passed, and he grinned at her with light appreciation,

"I forgive you." he told her, warmly, looking her over with satisfied openness. He tried to read his own mind…he wanted to figure out why he felt like he liked her so much at that moment. But he lost his opportunity to say something immediately, with the smirk of Kori's beautiful face. He still wanted to pull up a conversation…but his tongue tied itself in a knot as her eyes met his. So he took a moment to watch her… He let his eyes wonder to her face, as she looked away for a minute. He studied her as she pulled her bag higher up to her shoulder and looked at him…but he was caught in the moment, looking every aspect of her over, before he found the urge to speak his mind.

"Wow, you look great." he managed, grinning inwardly that he'd actually manage to say that. Kori was obviously dissatisfied by his comment and she rose a brow at him and gave him a look of light…surprise. She scoffed gently, much to his surprise, and he looked the beautiful redhead in the eye,

"What?" he asked. Kori just smiled.

"Is that the best you've got?" she asked…Dick smirked to himself, making a mental note that this was the Kori he expected this morning. But either way, this was a new one. He wasn't sure what she entirely meant with that. Whether it was a ploy to get more compliments (which he somehow couldn't imagine her being that kind of girl) or it could be a flirtatious pull…which he also doubted. And his last theory was that she was doubting and pushing away the fact that he'd just said she was attractive. That could have been for two things. One, she was trying to warn him that flattery didn't work on her. Or two, she really didn't think it was true. But something told him that he was seriously over thinking everything. So he decided to play it safe, and go the flirty route, looking at her with a smirk,

"Can't you take a compliment?" he asked with a tone that told her he wasn't going to just let this one go. She rolled her eyes and gave a (fake) look of deep and somewhat complicated thought, that Richard almost gave into, had it not been for the light crooked curve that took the shape of her mouth. So he watched her, eagerly waiting for the answer that would explain why she was laughing his compliment. Kori just tried to keep a straight face as she looked him over,

"Mmm….not when it's full of crap." she told him, looking him over, and making sure he didn't think she was kidding. She didn't want to sound mean…that's probably the last of her motives. But she didn't want to let her guard down around him, and she wouldn't do it. She didn't want to make it easier on him to hurt her. She just wanted to stay a safe distance from him. She'd love to form a friendship with him, there was no doubt. But…she didn't trust him. Nor did she plan on it, any time soon.

"Ouch." Richard mumbled, sarcastically, pulling another cocky smirk from his redheaded roommate. She gently hoisted one of her slender brows up to a strong arch, and shook her head, turning away from him and slowly starting to walk away from him. But to his surprise, this was the first stab of…pain that he felt from her. He could handle the games, and he could handle her cocky remarks…if anything, he fueled on them. But she was walking away from him…and that wasn't okay. He didn't like it…so he reached forward and touched his hand to her shoulder, making her jump, and freeze clear in place. He swallowed, hoping he didn't scare her too bad…but he wanted to _talk_ to her.

"Come on, Kori…why are you so down on me?" he asked, making her slowly turn to look at him, only…this time, she was trying to fight the slight sinking sting in the pit of her stomach. He wanted to know why she was so against him? She had a colorful past… She had been through lots of things that most people would call atrocious. She was, however, the kind of girl who lived by the motto 'the past is past' and tried not to let it interfere with her present or future. Though no matter how try that might have been…she had developed a strong guard. It was in the past, yes. But she was determined not to put her in the situation for something like it to happen again. Now, she was going to be more safe than sorry. And right now was one of those situations. He wanted to know why she wasn't letting him too close to him? Fine…she would tell him.

"Because I know what you're up to. Maybe I'm doomed to be naïve about your culture because I'm not from here, but I'm not stupid." She snapped, quickly, looking him dead in the eye and taking him back with a fierce surprise working on her side. She left room for interpretation… Decided to let him fill in the blanks…and that wasn't what he at all, wanted to hear. He hated the mental possibility that his reputation had gotten to her, and that that's what she was using to judge the safe proximity she should keep to him. So he swallowed and looked her over, trying to think of the right way to unravel what was going on in her mind.

"One, I never said you were stupid. Two, what in the world do you think I'm up to?" he asked, looking her over and mentally begging for it not to be what he thinks it most could be. Kori only folded her arms at him and studied his handsome form,

"Gonna play dumb?" she asked him rhetorically, trying to fight the urge to look him in the eye, in fear of losing her nerve. Richard swallowed and narrowed his icy blue orbs at her. She knew he was a playboy…she knew he had an extremely womanizing history… His heart was slowly starting to sink into his gut. He knew about his past with the women… He'd never tried having any kind of relationship with girls…he never felt the need. Sex was all he'd ever been after. He'd never clicked with anyone before. Yet here he was, caring about her. Drawn to her. There was something about her that just…pulled him in. And he didn't know what he could do about this…but he wasn't going to let things be painful or negative between the two of them. So he swallowed the thick lump in his throat and looked her over,

"I thought we were going to be neutral." He told her, glancing at his feet thoroughly, and holding his breath, hoping she would break the silence with something that will give him any kind of hope that they could…at the very least, form a friendship with one another. He didn't want her to hate him…any other girl in the world, fine. No harm, no foul. But not Kori… In fact, he started at his feel, and then swallowed, slowly looking up until he met her eyes,

"I hoped we would be. But you trying to get me in bed, isn't very neutral." she told him, letting the irritation in her voice come out and enter the air with a sharp stab. Richard didn't like how easily she was able to say that… It seemed so stern. It hinted him into the kind of feeling that there was absolutely no chance to form anything with her. Though he wasn't near ready to give up. For all he knew, he was being paranoid. But either way, he didn't like the way she said it so simply. 'trying to get me in bed' …no. He didn't like it. The fact that she showed no hesitation. No potential for something else in her meaning. No. It may as well have been a 'you're not getting anywhere near me' …which only meant he would have his work cut out for him. What was he doing being nervous? He's Richard Grayson. He can get anyone he wants… He just has to play it cool…not panic. That's his problem right now…he's letting her get to him. He needs to look at her like every other girl. …just he had to show her a little more respect than he normally would…

(A/N: I know I'm making him seem like a weirdo/a-hole… But that's the point, I promise. Lol)

"Who says I want to get you in bed?" he asked, looking her over and raising a brow, trying to shake a little room for reasonable doubt into her. He knew that this was going to be hard. Not only was she completely different from all the other girls around here-and by different, I mean she wasn't going to be charmed by a sexy smile and an expensive car/sometimes motorcycle…or reputation, money, and fame-but she knew him as a womanizer, already. She was a challenge as she was…but having news out that he's a man whore is going to up the level of difficulty a few notches. Kori seemed to somehow sense what he was thinking, and she could read the conflict on his face…she didn't want to rub in the discomfort that looked to be developing inside him…but she wanted to set the boundary up, nice and sturdy, between them.

"Only everybody." she said simply. Richard grit his teeth lightly and swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to play it cool. He wasn't going to let her know that there was a conflict starting to break out in his mind that was quite possibly driving him mad. Years of experience with girls told him that confidence got him everywhere. So he had to act like he wasn't in the least bit worried. Whether he was or was not was irrelevant. He had to act like he wasn't. So he swallowed and gave her a look that was splashing attitude in waves around him,

"And you believe them?" he asked her, almost accusatory. She didn't seem to mind his tone though, much to his surprise. She just offered him a face that told him she really didn't care, and shrugged lightly, taking him back. He'd expected a type of in your face kind of remark…and of course, he might still get it. But it wasn't how he'd expected. He thought she'd look at him as if he were dumb, because it was the most obvious thing on the planet. But she didn't. She just looked as if she were gazing past it.

"I haven't decided yet. I tend to ignore rumors and figure out things for myself. I just find it interesting how you're the famous womanizer of this city, and you've been all over me since I've been here." she said…he couldn't help but smirk. She was good, he couldn't deny. Something about the way she spoke though…even though it was insulting, it was gentle and kind of…relaxing. Or it would be, if she wasn't sitting here telling him why she didn't want to get involved with him, and giving perfectly legit reasons. Either way, Richard smirked at her,

"How do you know I'm not just extra friendly?" he asked, immediately mentally cursing himself as he listened to the words come out of his mouth, and into the open ear for her to hear. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and tried not to let her see that he was frantically regretting his remark to the beautiful girl. Kori just offered him an amused smile, and looked him over,

"Do you hear yourself?" she asked, somewhat rhetorically. Richard looked at his feet for a moment and blankly scratched the back of his head, hoping for an easy way out of his comment, but finding none. He swallowed and nodded reluctantly, looking her over lightly and trying to mimic her shrug by giving her a slightly cockier one.

"Yeah…that didn't come out how I'd hoped." he said, trying to produce a hint of humor in the look he gave her… She didn't seem to take it in the way he had hoped. Instead, she rose a brow at him and offered a sassy smirk, trying to show that she wasn't at all surprised by his slip up of stupidity-if that didn't sound totally bitchy. But either way, the look on her face was wasn't at all what he wanted to see… Reluctantly, he swallowed and looked her over, leveling for a moment, and than waiting for his nerve to catch up with him,

"Kori…why won't you give me a chance? You've only known me for a few days." he asked, ignoring that thing bubbling in his mind, called an ego. His eyes studied her for a moment, after he'd just spilled a little chunk of himself to her, and he prayed that she wouldn't react to what he'd just said with a smartass comment and think of him as lame or something along those lines. In fact, that's pretty much what he was waiting for. For her to look at him and laugh at him for being 'soft'. Though…she, of course, had another idea that was far more mature than his expectation. Instead she sighed lightly and relaxed a little bit, looking down, and slowly looking back at him,

"I'll only be here a year, Richard. You understand that, right? In addition to that, I highly doubt that I'm your type." she told him…and this rose a bit of a conflict in his mind. She said she wasn't his type…and he knew that she couldn't have been more wrong in the world. He'd never had a type, aside from C+ cup and size 7 and below… But her? No. He'd never been drawn to a girl beyond sexual drive. She was his type. He had no doubt. But she didn't say anything about him…

"But does that mean I'm your type?" he asked her, getting his hopes up a hair or two. Kori looked a him with irritation lighting her eyes up, and through him a light glare, clearly disappointed in him. It wasn't that he'd pulled the ass-face remark… It was that he opened up to her a tad…she returned the favor…and he turned it into this.

"You are unbelievable." she muttered, scolding herself for thinking that he had been down to earth for a moment. She was really growing tired of his little mind games, and mood switches. One moment, he would be an egotistical jerk, and another, he'd be a human being and show potential for a great person. She wanted to believe that the good guy beneath the ego was the real him. And deep down, she was pretty sure it was. But she hated the games, and didn't want them with him. She wanted a human being as her roommate, not a poster playboy. But Dick took light irritation to her comment, looked her over, and furrowed his brows,

"Why don't you tell me what's really bothering you." he challenged her, not entirely sure whether he wanted her to give him that answer or not. He knew that he wanted to know what her issue was so that he could figure out an efficient way to step over it and begin making some actual progress with her… But he wasn't sure that he wanted it from her. He knew that she was the kind of girl who would tell you exactly what you asked her… Meaning, it might not end up being the most friendly remark in the world. He wasn't fully prepared for how cold she would make it sound… but either way, he grit his teeth and looked her over, waiting for his answer if it killed him. She swallowed and rose her brows, taking in a deep breath, and looking at him,

"Alright…you. We agreed to be neutral. **Neutral**. That doesn't mean flirting, or-"

"I just said you looked nice. What's wrong with that?" Kori scoffed at him, and gave a sarcastic laugh,

"Oh, nothing, aside from the fact that it's a complete lie, that's…most likely, trying to achieve flattery or something of the sort." she told him, looking at him and trying not to glare… She didn't want to sound mean…but she didn't at all like the sound of someone saying she looked nice. Judging by what she saw in the mirror, any comment dealing with the fact that she was attractive felt like a lie. And she was determined to shine some light on his dishonesty. He, on the other hand, didn't at all like the way she was talking. So he looked her over and narrowed his eyes, furrowing his brows, and shaking his head.

"Or maybe I thought you looked nice and felt the need to say." he told her, honestly…but she just rolled her eyes and turned away from him, starting to walk in the opposite direction, before Dick reached out and gently grabbed her arm, keeping her from walking away. He pulled her lightly up to him and looked her over, waiting for her to look back at him, and the instant she finally met his eyes, he took in a breath, and deeply exhaled,

"I'm serious. Kori, whether you believe me or not, you're beautiful. I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but it's the truth." he told her…and for the first time, that entire morning, there wasn't any kind of undertone in that entire comment. He'd told her that she was beautiful…and she meant it. To him, it was a strong word that he'd never used before…but he felt that it was necessary for the time being while he was with her. She, on the other hand, was indescribably taken back, and looked him over again and again, nearly drowning in confusion and fighting the urge to shake her head as the fierce blush began invading the tan of her cheeks.

"Korina, Dick, what are you doing? It's past 7:30, you're going to be late." Bruce called up the stairs, stabbing into their conversation with a very ill-placed (yet appreciated, on Kori's end) interruption. Richard swallowed, almost grateful that he didn't have to wait for her response, in case it was something having to do with rejection or strong distaste. Either way, he turned to her and tried to give him a comforting grin, studying her beautiful face, and trying to piece together the words of the thoughts on his mind.

"Well, I guess that's our cue. Do you want a ride?" he asked, kind of surprised at just how smooth it had ended up coming out. Kori was taken gently back, and swallowed, roughly… She didn't like how calmly he'd offered to give her a ride, after having told her something that filled her with shock enough to make her freeze and leave her speechless. Her eyes traveled to the floor for a moment, and she fought to force herself to look back at him,

"N-No thank you, I think I'll walk." she said simply. Richard only smirked at her and rose a sharp brow,

"You'll have to run than, otherwise you'll be late." he said, proud that he had pretty much caught her with no choice but to accept his offer. Kori wasn't going to leave it at that. It was too easy for him to win after that little effort. So she thought for a moment, and came to a pleased conclusion of the buses, looking up at him and giving him a smirk. Unfortunately, he saw it coming. By reading the look on her face, he was able to jump to a decently read conclusion of what she was thinking, and gave her a light, and highly satisfied grin,

"And the buses already came. I think I'm your only hope." he told her through the proud curve of his mouth. Kori took a nervous step back and thought for a moment, trying desperately to slip out of the situation he was trying to rope her into.

"I'm sure I could make it if I-"

"Kori. I think we've settled the fact that I don't bite. Come on." he told her, looking her beautiful face over and giving her a lightly playful-yet friendly-grin. Kori couldn't help but look straight at him, and roll her vividly colored eyes, releasing a soft sigh of defeat,

"Mmm…fine. Thank you." she told him, with a sweet touch in her melodic voice. A light debate ran across the back of her mind, and she ignored it, flashing him a gentle hint of a smile. Richard was pleasantly surprised by the gentle gesture of angelic nature that she'd just bestowed upon him. The tiny twitch of a smile that she offered him was minute, yes…but it was more than enough to light up the entire hallway… But either way, he had to play it cool, just like everything else that was going on that morning…he had to keep his pride/confidence up. So he looked her over and rose a cocky brow,

"Oh, getting mushy on me now?" he asked. Kori's face flattened in disappointment and it was obvious that she wasn't amused. Richard noticed this immediately, and he frowned, trying to think of a way to reword his comment so that it wasn't…insulting? …or whatever else was wrong with it.

"Dick!" Bruce's voice thundered up the stairs…Richard tried not to grin. 'Saved by the bell' as he called it… So he turned to his gorgeous roommate and shrugged in a kind of 'what-are-you-gonna-do' way…the kind that hints to just go with the flow and take it, as is. He saw the discomfort on her face and offered her a flash of a grin, before looking down the stairs and sighing,

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming!"

XOXOXOXOXOX

Well…I guess this was just more little games…sorry it wasn't the most eventful chapter in the world. Either way, I hope y'all enjoyed it.

Please tell me what you thought!


	13. Chapter 13: Different

Okay guys, I know I've taken a while to get the next chapter up, and I'm soooooo sorry. We just got a new puppy...lol...and I've been busy at work. (I work at a dog rescue) and...blah. Okay, no more excuses. How about a new chapter?

I hope you like it!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

It almost seemed like a bad case of deja vu, the two of them silently in the car, staring into space in opposite directions, no one wanting to be the first to speak. Silently, the were both hoping that this wasn't going to become their daily routine. The young playboy was, of course, trying to find a way to sneak onto Kori's good side...it had been his goal for the past several days, and she was well aware of it. If anything, she was kind of worrying about what he was going to say...being around him, she was constantly holding her guard up, while trying to give him a genuine chance all the while... It was quite a difficult predicament that put herself in...but it wasn't one she was trying to really escape... She was just wishing for some kind of sound to come out.

"So…wanna play twenty questions?" Richard's voice cracked sharply into the silence, making it break into several pieces around the two of them. A playful smirk found its way onto Kori's angelic face as light amusement swept across her features. She couldn't fight the admittance in her mind that this had been extremely clever-if not a little bit comforting-on his part, and she fought the urge to smile as her gaze fell slowly to the floorboard, and she thought of something to say. It took her a minute to gain the kind of composure that was inpenetrable by his charm, but once she was sure that she had it securely in place, her eyes slowly climbed up the scenery and up to his handsome face,

"What's your favorite color?" she asked him, cutely, forcing a warm grin in the place of his usual frown. She couldn't help but make a mental note that his face was _meant_ to smile, but ignored the urge to comment as she watched him eagerly. He turned to her and caught her gaze,

"Red." he told her simply. Kori tried not to laugh at their childish amusement...sometimes she liked being able to ignore the level of maturity that she was supposed to possess. It was a good feeling, being able to let it go and say whatever you want, without holding back due to society's expectations. She didn't know what it was about her new roommate, but he seemed to be the kind of person that she could be herself with. She wasn't fully trusting to her feelings just yet however... Yes, she felt like she didn't need to hold back near him...but she didn't know him well enough. Her instincts were giving her mixed signals (which, as you can imagine, was slightly driving her mad)...the back of her mind was saying that she should let him in. He's trustworthy, and he'll be good towards her. The other voice said he's a playboy trying to get her in the sack...and she knew they were both true. Either way, she couldn't think about that now... For the time being, they were once again, on neutral grounds.

"Your turn." she told him, smirking at him to add to the playful tone of the mood. He couldn't help but love the way she looked when there was a positive touch to her expression. To him, it seemed as if with just the tiniest hint of a smile from her, and the whole area around her appeared to just...glow. Of course, given his reputation, ego, and image, he would never say that. All of his small 'hopelessly romantic' quips must stay low key, and hidden from everyone. It's how he planned to keep his sanity. He hid behind pride and raw humor...and of course, a light touch of douche-bag. All he wanted was to be 'Richard, the playboy' forever. Though for the first time, being around Kori, gave his a slight urge to fight that. Nothing major enough to do it. But enough to consider changing pace. But why is this small mental thought turning into a miniature rant? The most important part of the moment is that Kori's sitting right beside him and she's waiting on him to say something.

"Oh, well how can I top that?" he asked her through a light chuckle, looking her over and grinning as she lightly rolled her eyes, "What's your favorite thing about Gotham, so far?" he asked, taking a moment more to look at her, before turning his gaze back to the road ahead of him. Kori couldn't help but admit she was slightly-and pleasantly-surprised by his question. She'd expected him to ask her something that was pigheaded, if not, a little inappropriate. But no...this was a very relaxing surprise. His question wasn't sexual or flirtatious, like she would have expected it... Even though his questions have some very possible undertones...his voice didn't pursue any of them...and for that she was lightly grateful. The fact that he meant it sincerely put a light smile on her face, and she gave a moment of thought into his question, piecing together an answer for him.

The look of thought on her face didn't go unnoticed by the handsome young man beside her and his eyes found their way over to look at her, studying the beautiful redhead with eager anticipation. He looked her up and down from head to toe...or knee, considering that's as much as his view would allow him, trying to get some kind of read on whatever was running through her mind. He didn't want to wait for her answer...though everything inside of him told him that whatever it would be, it would be well worth whatever stretch of time squeezed itself in between the moments. Kori just allowed herself to wrap her mind around the question in delicate consideration. Her eyes wondered over to him to catch a glimpse of his expression, slightly caught off guard at the sight of him staring back at her. He was pleasantly surprised when a light smile spread gently across her face,

"There are a lot of great people here." she told him simply, her eyes locked right with his as she answered his question, and giving him a light twitch of her brow. He didn't want to be taken back by her action...but he couldn't help furrow his brows, and silently hope that he was one of those 'great people' that she'd just mentioned. He was, of course... Or at least the side of him that wasn't constantly being overpowered by his life-sized monument of an ego. Either way, Kori knew she liked him. He was a great guy...and he had potential to be a really great friend. He just couldn't always keep it quite that simple...and the grin on his face was easily helping prove her point.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, with a face full of attitude. Kori just fought the urge to roll her eyes at him, succeeding, and giving him a playful smirk,

"What's something nobody knows about you?" she said, taking matters into her own slender hands, to progress onto her turn without waiting for his consent or approval in the situation. Now, normally, the playboy took pride in being taken into consideration about everything that went on around him. It was part of his mental control that he seemed to carelessly possess on the people he came into contact with. Everyone cared what he thought. Everyone tip-toed around him and tried to do everything to what would please him the most. It was like...a slight control that he had by default around everyone... But with Kori, there was no control. She was free range, and was more than determined not to treat him differently than everyone else. And...while you'd expect for that to get on egotistical, Richard Grayson' mind...it didn't. If anything, he found it comforting and refreshing...and as the grin swept across his face, he became devoted to making the most of it.

"I like musicals." he told her, spilling the first thing that came to his mind that he would never tell anyone else. Kori didn't even try to hide the light surprise that spilled onto her beautiful face. It wasn't like a jaw-dropping surprise, of course. More of a...light twitch of her brow kind of thing. But either way, it was enough to catch the playboy's second glance...and the tiny smile that was beginning to tug at her full lips was enough to catch a sting of his worry.

"Really, now?" she asked him through a clever smirk. Richard's brow instinctively arched into a sharp curve and he looked over at her with slight warning on his face,

"What's said in the car, stays in the car." he told her quickly, when he settled on the idea that he was incapable of reading the expression on her face. Kori, of course, hadn't even considered telling anyone, or using it as blackmail... But the idea that Richard felt the need to say something, gave her a light sense of peace. It kind of confirmed that he hadn't just made up a random 'secret' about himself. The fact that he felt the need to defend it-even jokingly-told her that it was for real...and that he had an emotion kind of like vulnerability...or embarrassment. This hinted to a glimpse of humanity underneath his cold, proud exterior... And he she was, not only happy to see it...but slightly drawn to it.

"You're secret's safe with me." she told him cutely, giving him a slightly amused smile, and looking him over. Richard trusted her...he didn't expect her to go and use his little bit of self-info against him. But it didn't matter...the way she took the liberty to give him a little bit of comfort zone, without him even needing to give the least signal for her to was just another thing for him to add to the mental list he was gathering of the things he loved about her. He wasn't in the sort of position to be cocky...but he still had a bit of room to be comfortingly flirtacious, didn't he? ...he certainly hoped so.

"So what about you? Is there some kind of secret Kori fun fact I should know about?" he asked her, not bothering to peel his eyes from the road, to make his little inquiry. The girl beside him rolled her vivid eyes and tried to keep herself from getting insulted. She knew that he meant no harm. She knew that he was just trying to upbeat and keep up the casual conversation as long as he could manage. But she didn't want his smart-ass attitude...she wanted _his_ attitude. But whatever. She got what she got, and no one was going to be able to stop that. She could just take it, absorb it, and make her way around it. He was being respectful enough. Just silly. And she could more than handle that. If anything...maybe she could give him back a little of what he's dishing out.

"You'd be surprised." she told him, turning to him and giving him a playful smirk. Needless to say, her action slightly surprised him...but he wasn't going to let her know that. He'd known she was mysterious to a point...but he didn't think she'd have openly taunted his curiosity the way she did... Unless it was just a game. In which case, he would just have to play along...eagerly, of course.

"Oh? What, do you like heavy metal and horror movies, or something?" he asked her, saying the first thing that he couldn't possibly imagined her doing. She seemed like more of a soft rock kind of girl...maybe into romance movies. Drama...stuff like that. She seemed like the gentle/quiet girl. Kori, on the other hand was trying not to start laughing at his random question. That's what he thought of her? She couldn't have been more amused. The kind of gently soul? She laughed quietly to herself and looked down, shaking her head, and looking at him through a beautiful smile,

"Actually, yes. But I'm willing tell that to anyone who asks." Kori's words made his brows crinkle, and his face was washed with shock. For a moment, he assumed she was joking when she'd said she liked metal and horror... But upon closer mental observation, he came to the conclusion that so far, nothing about her was like anything he'd ever expected, so... Why would that be any different? Shaking it off, he allowed his mind to travel to the next part of her gentle comment. She'll tell anyone who asks her? This _definitely_ piqued his interest.

"So you're an open book?" he asked, looking over to her and hoping to himself that she would say 'yes'. Kori's green eyes found their way to his and she looking him over with a 'you're-just-gonna-push-this-huh?' look, raising both of her brows at him and giving him a very sassy look,

"About some things." she snapped delicately, though Richard was forced to take a mental step back. He didn't really know what he'd expected her to say...but this certainly wasn't it. In fact, he was more looking forward to the answer that went along with 'you wish'...but this? She'd pretty much given him the invitation to ask what he wanted. But the way she worded it? He hand no idea what to ask... But hey, what was he complaining about? He was Richard Grayson. He was the flirting king. If he wanted to figure something out about a girl, he would most definitely find a way to do what he wanted. So he thought for a moment and smirked, keeping his eyes planted firmly on the road,

"Can I read a few chapters, than?" he asked her. Kori was taken back, and started laughing, trying-and miserably failing-to hide how much of a dork he'd just sounded like. It took her a moment to calm her amusement, before she rolled her eyes and looked away from him, lightly shaking her head, and trying so hard to keep from insulting him.

"You are _so_ cheesy." she told him, making sure she added a playful tone to her voice to keep from sounding rude or embarrassing him. Richard, still, was slightly let down. He'd thought she'd get some kind of a kick out of what he'd said to her. But he wasn't going to let anyone see that he'd been shut down. Part of being a famous playboy was that he always got his way. So he had to treat this as if she hadn't completely made him feel like a moron.

"Well, I thought it was clever." he said, grinning gently, and battling the urge he had to turn and look at her. She couldn't help but laugh gently as his good-natured comment, and look to her feet. It took her a moment to clear the smile from her face , and she shook her head,

"I do believe it's your turn, sir." this was a good opportunity, he'd decided. He'd gotten her to lighten up a tad towards him. They were willingly asking each other stuff they wanted to know. It was his turn. He couldn't really think of a better time to test the waters. He could find out either...the source of why she wasn't giving him a chance. Or if she _would_ in the near future. This was his chance. Of course...this would only work if she kept as positive-acting as she had been. He could hope, right? He swished the two possible questions through his head for a moment and decided to head straight to the root of the problem.

"Okay. Honestly...Kori, why are you so bipolar towards me? I don't mean for that to sound asshole-ish, but...sometimes you seem to like me, sometimes you seem to hate me." he inquire, hoping she wouldn't take offense to it. It really hadn't come out the way he'd wanted it to. Sure, it was what he wanted to say...but it wasn't how he wanted to say it. And he knew Kori well enough to know that she paid great attention to the wording of things. Though, to his surprise, she didn't seem put off by him...instead she looked...startled?

"What's said in the car, stays in the car, huh?" she asked, looking down nervously. This was the realist in her, showing through. Richard swallowed in light surprise and nodded slowly, furrowing his brows, and praying the anticipation wouldn't kill him.

"It depends on you. I just...what do you expect from me? Flirting with me. Why? What's your aim?" she asked, cockily, looking over at him and up a tad due to their height difference. She was honestly kind of afraid of his answer. He, on the other hand, was slightly disappointed by her answer. His face flattened and his brow line crinkled with something that was very short of satisfaction. He didn't like what she'd just asked... What was his aim? He knew she had a theory. And he knew why she thought that. But either way, he was by no means pleased.

"Not plainly to get you into bed, as you seem to think." he snapped, immediately wishing he hadn't... He didn't want to make her uncomfortable talking to him about this. This was pretty important in his understanding... He didn't want to ruin it just because he got a little irritated that his reputation and womanizing history was finally catching with him. Kori was more than mature than he gave her credit for, however. She didn't overreact to him at all. Instead, she remained perfectly calm, and pushed her gaze gently to the window with a light shrug,

"I never said that I thought that was your only motive. Those are your words. I just said I'm pretty sure it's gone through your mind a handful of times." she told him simply, half-expecting him to overreact even more. He was full of surprises, it seemed, and just sighed, looking down, slightly ashamed about what he was about to say.

"Well...honestly, yeah. Of course it has, I'm a guy-"

"My point, exactly. You're a guy-"

"But that doesn't mean that's all I want from you." they'd finished their let's-cut-each-other-off battle, and had ended up looking each other over. Kori was worried she'd made him out to sound like a pig, and Richard was worried that he'd just acted like a vicious bulldozer, running her over with a line of sharp spikes. Of course...both of their worries were in vein. Neither of them had taken the suspected offense. The beautiful redhead was nervously surprised by what he'd said to her...the possibility of being more to him than a sex object was...intimidating, to say the least. It scared the hell out of her and filled her to the brim with nerves and confusion.

"Than what _do_ you want from me?" she asked him, trying her hardest to keep her voice from trembling. With her blunt (and slightly naïve, if you think about it) question, Richard grit his teeth and looked straight to the road, purposely avoiding her heavy gaze that burned into the side of his handsome face. He didn't know what to say... Was he going to be corny and say something like 'I want a relationship' ? ...no. She'd already made a comment about him being 'cheesy' as she'd put it. (of course, in the future, he would find out that she enjoyed cheesiness most of the time) But he...didn't know what to say. How could he say that he wanted to be more than friends? Aside from saying just that, of course? He was at a loss for words. He knew what was trying to slip through his lips... But saying something so blunt probably wouldn't go so well... He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut for a split second, trying to work up some kind of nerve,

"Kori...you're so different... All the girls here are the same in one way or another. There are exceptions, but...even than, you're...you're special. Cheesy, if you wanna call it that...sure. But you're...you're different." he spoke, lightly shocked at how easily he'd been able to speak his mind.. He'd known that they'd only known each other for a little while, but...it didn't matter what girls he was surrounded by...he could only see Kori. He only wanted _her_...he was only drawn to her... It didn't matter how gorgeous or perfect looking anyone around him was... She was better to him... She was more. She was different_._ But that was just about the last thing in the world she wanted to hear from him. Kori heard the word 'different' come out of his mouth, and her face suddenly fell... She felt out of place, and exposed...as if she were suddenly unsure of the situation. And this did **not** go unnoticed by Richard, who saw the trouble on her face, and looked her over, worriedly.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, trying to show her nothing but concern. He didn't want to let pride or ego, or any undertones she could possibly pick up, show... He just wanted to know why she had confusion all over her face... Or maybe confusion was the wrong word. But if it was, discomfort sure wasn't. And the handsome playboy had care written all over his face. You'd think that Kori would have found this comforting. And you know...in a way, she did, a little bit. But mostly, she was stuck on trying to keep her guard above her emotions. She was trying to keep all negative feelings that she possessed, hidden from the world. She was an expert at this, and gracefully looked at her driver with a raised brow and an innocent look,

"Nothing. Whose question is it?" she asked him with a curious look on her face. Richard smirked to himself, making a mental note that she was pleasantly convincing, but he wasn't about to buy into it. He knew what she was trying to do. And he knew that it was her turn. But he also knew that if he gave her the opportunity to ask what she wanted, she would surely change the subject. And he wasn't about to let that happen.

"Mine." he said smoothly. Kori, of course, wasn't fooled, but swallowed and rolled her eyes,

"Liar. But go ahead." she told him quietly. The handsome young man couldn't help but smirk at the situation... He loved how clever she was...and of course, how she never ceased to surprise him. He'd expected her to-if she noticed it was supposed to be her turn, and not his-take controls and not let it fly... Especially when she was obviously so uncomfortable with the subject at hand. But no...she let him get away with it and put control back into his hands again...and he was slightly grateful. But the discomfort on her face seemed more pressing than his recent victory.

"Tell me the truth, Kor. What's wrong?" he asked, taking his eyes off the road again, but this time to place them on his beautiful passenger. He didn't like the fact that she was nervously pulling at her clothes, trying to occupy her mind with other things so that she didn't slip and loose her control, even if only for a moment.

"I don't take pride in being different." she said quickly, plainly...and more importantly, bluntly. She didn't care to beat around the bush. She wanted to answer him honestly, and do it quickly. She was aiming for the band-aid effect. Quick. Because she expected Richard to try a dose of flattery and give her reasons why she should...but he swallowed and gave himself a moment to think. He wanted to give her the kind of outlook that would make her proud of who she was...he didn't like the negativity she bestowed upon herself. Not at all. And he was trying to set himself upon a small mission to improve her self-image.

"It's not a bad thing. It's a **very** good thing, actually." he told her, looking at her and locking her eyes with his, sending chills down her spine with the strength of his gaze. Kori looked down nervously and bit her tongue roughly to keep from making any smart-ass comment about how she disagreed. Instead, she swallowed and tried to keep her eyes from trailing back up at him,

"Tell that to my family." she muttered as quietly as she could manage, under her breath...but it didn't matter how softly it was spoken. Richard still managed to hear it. Or...at least parts of it, and it didn't sit well with him. He wasn't sure entirely what she had said...and she knew it wasn't to him, so for a split second, he was hesitant on questioning her about, considering it was something he wasn't meant to hear... But the tone her voice had adopted was too worrisome to pass up the opportunity for interrogation.

"What about your family?" he asked. Kori bit her tongue as hard as she could without drawing blood and shook her head,

"Please. Drop it." she said, not giving any room to wiggle or test the waters. He didn't want to drop whatever she had just said...he knew that on some grounds, it was decently important... But he wasn't about to try forcing her into anything uncomfortable... She said drop it, he would respect that...no matter how much he didn't want to.

"I think it's your turn." he spoke the first thing that came to his mind. A relieved smile swept across the redhead's face, and she allowed her eyes to make their way over to his for a moment...just long enough for him to look back at her, before she decided to look away.

"Thank you..." she softly mumbled...but it was enough to make Richard grin. She'd expressed appreciation toward him...and in his mind, that was a very good thing. He liked the idea of her knowing that he was willing to give her the space she needed on stuff like this. He wanted her to get this from him more, in fact... Maybe it would be a way of making her trust him. But either way, he was more focused on the question she was going to ask him considering he just gave her the floor. She, of course, hadn't had anything ready for when he were to say that and had to think of something interesting. Her mind wondered unwillingly to a 'forward' text that Gar had sent her the night before. She had later discovered that a forward was a text that you sent to all your friends, and they sent it to theirs, and on and on...it was usually a funny joke, or a strange question. But it obviously wasn't original in the first place, so what would Gar mind if she used it on Richard?

"Alright...if you could know any one thing about me, what would it be?" the second she heard those words slip through her lips, the mentally began cursing herself for giving him that much leverage. She lightly prayed to both X'hal, and herself, that he wouldn't ask anything too rash... She was willing to honor that sanctity of twenty questions... But that didn't do anything to heal the butterflies in her stomach as she awaited the next few words that were sure to slip through his lips. He took a minute to think... He knew she hadn't intentionally given him such a big floor... He wanted her to be comfortable around him...but he also had something he really wanted to ask her. So for the moment, he was stuck thinking about whether he should bite the bullet and ask, or if he should reason that she wouldn't want to hear that question, and go for something else. He swallowed,

"Do I have any chance with you?" he blurted, his subconscious clearly making the decision for him. To his surprise, she didn't seem to give any sign of being uncomfortable or negative emotions whatsoever. Instead, she drew in a light breath and looked down for a split second, slowly adverting her gaze back to him,

"Control your ego, and I'm sure we could be really great friends." her angelic voice licked his ears. Richard frowned,

"You know what I mean." he snapped, trying not to sound irritated with her, though he was thoroughly let down by the intentional evasion of what he'd taken the courage to ask her. Kori didn't like the way he was pushing her... She knew that there was no reason for her to possibly get her way all the time...and he had been pretty good giving her a little lead way for the most part... But she somewhat wished she would've saved one of those previous argument-wins for this current moment. Of course, she couldn't, so there was nothing to save her from answering. Her nerve was shaky, so she slowly looked down, once more, before gathering some kind of volume in her voice.

"I'll only be here for a year-"

"And a lot can happen in a year, Kor... Tell me the truth. I don't need any excuses to spare my feelings... Tell me." he said, slightly surprised by the amount of concentrated compassion in his voice. Kori swallowed and tried to avoid shivering as the shard chill ran down her spine...the intensity of his stare was nerve-wracking, and she tried her best to maintain her composure. She didn't like the was he could level her with nothing more than the lock of his eyes to hers... She felt vulnerable when he was looking at her... Safe, but vulnerable. And this was something she'd never in her life, felt before. It's also something that fueled part of her strain that she put between him and herself. But he didn't need to know anything of the effect he had on her. So she looked him over and shook her head,

"Richard...I'm not going to put myself in a position to get hurt." she told him bluntly, hoping that she would silence the argument with her comment, but some how knowing that he wasn't going to be that easy to settle down and advert.

"Kori. I am not going to hurt you." he told her, trying his absolute best to convince her that he was being serious. Never in his life had he regret his womanizing ways... He was always proud of being a playboy...of sleeping around...or one-night stands, and lack of relationships... But now, he was almost angry at himself for it... If he had just been like every normal guy out there and actually given woman more than an expensive dinner and a night of great sex, than maybe he'd have a shot with this girl! But than again...if he _were_ like every other guy out there, she'd probably not give him a second look. She sighed and looked away from him,

"I'm sorry... But I've heard that before." she told him, looking down and trying to keep from giving some kind of a cliché 'oh, who a is me' look of self-pity. Richard furrowed his brows and looked over at her, making sure she was looking back at him before he said anything else.

"Not from me, you haven't." he told her, only wishing that she could understand the gravity of him saying something that intimate. This meant a lot for Richard Grayson to say something like this, because he never cared before. He didn't show any concern on how he made any girls feel... He never tried to comfort anyone before...especially no one female. He never gave concern as to whether people felt comforted around him or not... She didn't know any of this, but this was the very first time he'd ever said that to anyone... And he meant it like nothing else... Kori sighed and made sure she looked sharply away from him,

"We're almost to the school. Do you really want part ways, and start the day on this kind of note?" she asked, not even trying to hide the fact that she was desperately trying to change the subject before things got any more heated. She didn't want him to yell at her... She was worried about making him mad... She wanted to keep a peaceful relationship with him. What was so hard about that? She couldn't figure it out... But he always had to push the boundaries of her comfort zone, and this is where she drew the line. She was starting to feel a light touch of fear from this argument. She wasn't entirely sure where it came from...maybe the fact that she was finding fewer legit reasons to keep a distance from him... Or maybe it was coming from the trust she didn't want to give him. Either way, she didn't like it and was determined to put an end to it at once. Richard frowned, but he wasn't wanting to push her if she wasn't ready.

"Not if we can continue this conversation on the ride home." he told her sternly, without an ounce of pride, ego, humor, or anything in his voice. He wasn't about to let this conversation go and treat it as if it had never happened...but he was going to give he the break of her nerves if she needed it. Kori swallowed and looked her handsome roommate over, watching him as he pulled into the parking lot, his eyes on his surroundings. For some reason, she found a comfort in his company when he was looking away...but she wasn't going to pretend to know why. All she did was shrug to herself and look him over, studying every part of him, before he put the car in park and turned to look at her.

"Fine." she said simply, as their eyes locked in a mutual gaze...but she was secretly fighting the urge to smile at him. Though she was nervous, it was...a good feeling when he compromised with her and still, at least partially, let her have her way. Richard, on the other hand, was busy giving himself a mental pat on the back for having sealed the fact that they were holding onto the conversation. For the first time, he actually got her to give him exactly what he wanted...not to sound sleazy, of course. He was quick to turn and look at her, studying her beautiful face, and taking a moment to let himself stare, reasoning he'd earned the right this time. He still couldn't get over how beautiful she was... He'd said it before, many times...but looking at her as he was... Her eyes...her skin...her lips...the symmetry...the glow of her... She was indescribably radiant...mesmerizing... He couldn't take her eyes off of her, nor could he shake himself from her trance. This, of course, was making Kori a little nervous...she didn't like when people stared at her... So she swallowed and looked down, forcing a thankful smile, and looking back up.

"Well, thanks for driving me. You saved the day." she told him, suddenly feeling less awkward and taking a moment to look him over, trying not to blush as his **deep** eyes stared into her. She was quick to smile and advert her gaze to the floor, in which, Richard took the liberty to take this moment to turn around and get his bag from the back seat, giving Kori the momentary pause she needed to make her exit. She didn't want to be rude, but she'd figured she'd already thanked him, and he had been the one to break the eye contact and conversation...so she it upon herself to swallow and open her door. The sound caught Richard's attention and he was quick to pull himself back towards her, and he looked her over, trying his best to think of what to say as he reached for her hand to stop her. He knew what he wanted to say...but he wasn't sure how to. He couldn't just say it...though...hell, why couldn't he? He swallowed and gently reached forward to graze her hand with his.

"Kori, wait..." he told her, slowly wrangling up the courage to ask her what he'd been piecing together, mentally. The beautiful girl didn't hesitate, as she stopped what she was doing and settled back into the passenger seat, looking at him expectantly. The strength of her gaze forced his heart to pound, and there was a soft voice in the back of his head, kicking him for being so nervous about something so seemingly simple. But it didn't matter. Either way, he was going to request this of her... Whether he ended up making a fool out of himself or not, it was happening. So he may as well do it in a calm and collected manner. Richard had to fight back to depth of her stair as he looked at her, and a light smile appeared on his face. She seemed lightly taken back by it, but she wouldn't let it show. Instead, she held her cool in the palm of her hand, and waited for his next move. He gently outstretched his hand and looked her straight in the eye,

"Friends?" he asked the beautiful redhead with a face full of hope. Kori couldn't help but acknowledge the surprise washing over her features as she looked him over, smiling gently. Normally she wasn't one for Kodak moments, but...unbeknownst to her, she found herself enjoying how cheesy Richard's proposition was to her. And she took his hand with a slightly eager attitude,

"_I suppose_."

XOXOXOXOXOX

-I didn't have time to proof read this chapter so I hope it's alright!-

Almighty, so the cat and mouse continues...though...hope you like the little twist of an end:]

Lol I love you guys, and thanks for sticking with me!

I know it has taken me FOREVER to update...and I"m soooo sorry... Tonight was my first day off work in what feels like forever! ...but no excuses.

I'm sorry...and I'll do my BEST to get this story updated asap.

I love y'all!


	14. Chapter 14: Cosmo

So yes...another new chapter. Lol...I hope you guys like this one. It's..more comical or...kinda filler than anything. But either way, I hope y'all enjoy it!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Being Richard Grayson's _friend _was surprisingly easy in the young redhead's eyes. She knew that not much would change by the simple handshake and wording of 'let's be friends'...but it was still kind of...amazing how things just seemed that much easier by a small verbal agreement. Suddenly they went from ignoring each others' gazes in the hallway-or her, avoiding his, rather-and trying to one-up each other on everything...to a simple acknowledging smile or nod to one another, as well as letting annoying things one could hear the other saying go. Granted...there had only been half an hour's time since they'd gone their separate ways in the school...but this was Gotham City High. News traveled fast...by fifteen minutes, everyone knew about their newly founded friendship. It was top gossip in the halls that morning, in fact.

Kori found herself shocked in amusement at the way the people of this school took news like this. What, just because he was popular, his business seemed to be everybody's? She didn't really understand things like that... But it didn't really matter to her. Let them find amusement in what they would. Who was she to judge? As long as it didn't affect either her or his day to day activities or lifestyle, than let the people talk. She just wanted to go through her day, get through her classes, and get home. What went on around her didn't really affect her. So she made her way to her red spray-painted locker, and lightly touched her hand to the small dial, turning it to the right, and starting to enter her combination into it. Of course...as she began pulling it open, that's about the time she saw her dark teenaged friend approaching her with cocked brows and a look on her face that looked as if she were contemplating something. In fact, it made Kori smirk as she looked Rachel over curiously,

"Is there something you wanna say to me?" she asked, battling the lightly amused anticipation that was circling her head like an F-3 twister. The goth looking girl allowed the crinkle to change the shape of her mouth and she tried to think of a way to word her question to keep it gentle and lightly considerate. Of course...she soon got over it, and rose a brow at her beautiful friend, a wide grinning crawling sneakily across her face,

"Did you sleep with Dick?" she blurted out, making Kori's eyes widen, and her face melt into an expression of concentrated shock. If she'd have had a drink in her mouth, it would have flown across the entire hallway,

"What? No!" she exclaimed, looking her over with seriousness all over her face. Rachel, on the other hand, flattened her forehead and gave her 'the look' symbolizing that she didn't entirely believe what her tall friend was telling her. The redhead simply gave her a straightened face, and gave her a moment to read it, before she rose one of her slender brows,

"No. We simply agreed on being neutral. Friends, according to him." she told her, spilling a tiny feed of what had happened between the two of them that morning. The dark girl's interest was taken into a magnified account, and she rose both her brows, lightly narrowed her eyes, and squished her mouth to one side. A small mental debate went on through her head as she tossed up whether to wait for Kori to continue on her own, of if she wanted to take the liberty to interject. ...guess which one of the two became the winner?

"You're friends with Richard Grayson? How on Earth does that go?" Rachel's question was louder than she'd meant it to be, and now they weren't the only two people involved in this small discussion. The taller of the girls just rolled her eyes at her friend and tucked a strand of her long red hair behind her ear, turning her attention to the small tin opening in front of her. She swished the question that had just been asked around her mind a little bit, as she sorted through her organized stack of books and files, looking for the ones hse needed for the class that awaited her moments from now.

"Dunno yet." she said, finally, "We were arguing about me not giving him a _chance_ this morning." she paused her explanation in the means to get a read on the things that could possibly be going through her friend's mind. It was kinda funny how awkward the atmosphere around them was, as they simultaneously pulled out their required text book and looked each other over. It seemed that they were both awaiting replies from one another, tying a knot around the situation. Rachel was the one, of course, to decide to give a little shove,

"Continue." she muttered, obviously impatient. Kori rolled her eyes and nodded, taking a light blue folder into her hands and glancing back at her friend's dark brown eyes,

"I flat out ended the discussion. Told him that I didn't want to begin the school day by fighting. So...we agreed to continue our conversation on the way home from school." she told her, making sure she inserted details where appropriate. She knew how Rachel was...it wasn't hard to figure out. She liked knowing what went on, and she strongly hated vagueness. This is something they had in common...so it's another something that really helped them get along. They thought the same way. Wanted the same things from people. Had the same insight and style of communication. They had their differences, of course...but either way, their personalities proved to be pretty perfect for each other. Hence, the great friendship they had already formed in a simple matter of days.

"Why didn't you just end it there?" the empath asked, looking the redheaded beauty over as she hung her bag over her shoulder and watched eagerly for the rest of the story. Kori couldn't help but smirk to herself... She loved how cold her friend could be... Not mean, necessarily. But cold. It was a good skill to have...but she wasn't that way. She cared too much about other people, how they felt, what they wanted...everything like that. She was more of the sweetheart type, even when she tried to act like she didn't care. She admired Rachel's ability to say 'to hell' with everyone else. Because she was never cruel if someone needed something or was in a bad place. She just had a natural filter to bullshit. One that was envied by the beautiful girl staring at her,

"Because he wants **answers**, Rae. If I were in his shoes, I'd want him to do the same." she told her, hoping she wouldn't get the 'you need to look out for yourself' speech that she got the other day. She knew she meant well, there was no doubting that. But she didn't like being told anything that she just didn't morally agree with. People could have their views and approaches on stuff, and she would have hers. It was that simple...and even though Rachel was only trying to help her out, she didn't like their methods tangling. She lightly swallowed,

"Mmm...you're too nice. But how did that turn into your becoming of friends?" she asked softly, trying to fight the urge to smile at the amusement she was trying to keep from getting out of this situation. She didn't want to admit it, but the awkward moment her friend was stuck in was doing a wonderful job of entertaining the dark empath. Kori noticed this, but took no offense. She could easily admit that to an outside perspective, this would be amusing. She just didn't see herself on that side of the situation. So she smirked and looked her short friend over,

"To be honest...I'm not sure. I was getting out of the car, he stopped me, held his hand out, and asked if we could be friends." she said. Rachel turned to her and gave an 'are-you-serious' kind of smile.

"Cheesy. And you said yes?" she asked, trying to find the logic in her friend's decision. She couldn't imagine someone as 'cool' and superficial as Richard Grayson flat out asking a girl if she would be his friend. She was strongly enjoying that mental image, and **greatly** enjoying her friend that moment. Kori could probably get him to do anything she wanted him to... So she had to fight from trying to keep herself from taking advantage of this. She could convince her friend to do a lot of things to this boy...but she wasn't sure she wanted to. Not yet. Especially not when she watched the smile appear on her face,

"It was sweet." she said, looking down and smiling even wider to herself, not sure whether or not she should let Rachel see that look on her...though she was pretty sure she did, anyway.

"Well you've made history. The first girl to be 'just friends' with Dick Grayson. How's it feel?" she asked, trying to hold back the anticipation in hopes that she could keep from feeling like every other girl that was waiting eagerly for gossip. With her friend's question, Kori felt slightly out of place... She was friends with her roommate...she didn't like how Rachel was making such a big deal out of it. But hey, how would she know that it was making her uncomfortable? She'd shown no signs up til this point, nor felt the need to say anything...if anything, she'd egged her on. So she tried slowly to piece together the words that could explain the true simplicity of what was going on...though she was saved by the bell, thankfully. The sounding of the warning bell rang through the hallways, ringing out with Kori's momentary freedom.

"I'll get back to you." the redhead spoke through a please smile as she shut her locker door and nodded to her friend, before turning around with an armful of books, and began towards her next class. Rachel was slightly surprised as she watched her friend walk away without much of a proper goodbye. Although...it was probably for the best. Kori wasn't please with the conversation that had been at hand, and was trying to keep from being rude, by being playful. So the dark girl smirked and watched her turn the corner and disappear, before a short boy, more familiarly known as Garfield, came bouncing up to her with a wide, toothy grin,

"Kori and Dick are friends!" he sang happily. Rachel rolled her eyes and turned back to her locker, thinking something along the lines of 'tell me something I don't know'. She didn't like the way Gar was trying to help Dick get into her pants... Granted, she'd told him she'd help him get to know her...but this short little blonde boy, was initially trying to hook them up. In fact...running this thought through her head was starting to annoy her...irritate, at that. She didn't like the idea of him getting excitement from this...and the more she thought about it, the more it was getting to her.

"So...agreeing to help pawn off your friend to the school man whore, in order to get points with a celebrity...makes you proud of yourself?" she asked, giving her-what he called the 'stink face'-and raising a brow. (Now...for most people, raising a brow expresses just a little bit of attitude or flair in one's comment... But with Rachel Roth, it may as well have been a flashing red light, screaming 'YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE NEXT THING YOU SAY **VERY** CAREFULLY' ) ...and Gar knew this all too well. His gaze fell to the floor and slightly embarrassed guilt-just as the dark girl had intended-began bleeding onto his face.

"I'm not pawning her out..." he mumbled without looking at her, in fear that he'd find out she wasn't buying this at all. Of course, she wasn't. She put her hands on her hips and looked him over, shaking her head, and glaring to his downward-facing head.

"You're flat out helping Dick get with her. There's not that big of a difference." she snapped. With this, Gar slowly pulled his gaze back up to meet hers,

"But...he says he likes her." he spoke with words dripping with naivity. The dark empath's face went flat, and the look on her face made the short little boy cringe. She narrowed her eyes at him, and for a moment, he was sure he saw a number of flames flying straight at him.

"If she gets hurt, it's your neck." she told him with absolutely no emotion at all in her voice. Of course...to most people, that would be a good thing, but no...with Rachel, this was almost the equivalence of a death glare. Of course...the blonde shrimp-sized boy knew how to counter such a cruel look. He widened his eyes, pointed his face down a little, and looked up at her with a slightly pursed lips. This was known as 'the puppy face' and worked on almost everybody. ..or at least that's what he thought and no one ever bothered to tell him that it never had any effect. And to Rachel, it was concentrated irritation, so she slammed her locker door in his face.

"See you in History." she told him dully, walking away hurriedly, with her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Thought she'd never leave." Richard's voice sounded as he approached his new friend, watching Rachel disappear around the corner and slightly glaring after her. Gar, of course, was too deep in awe that the famous young playboy was willingly coming up to him and talking to him-waiting for his friend to leave, in addition to that-that he didn't notice the irritation on his face. Instead, excitement took the place of everything else in his little mind.

"Dude! Hi!" he exclaimed. Now...Richard was still getting o know Gar. He was still stuck in the 'I'm better than you' state of mind, and proved it by rolling his gorgeous blue eyes in slight annoyance.

"Well I've got friends. I should probably give that a couple days before I try turning it into anything else, huh?" he asked, taking pure liberty to switch the conversation immediately to the things that were pressing on _his_ mind. He was learning to let the geeky kids on his good side...but he obviously wasn't there yet. But it didn't matter. Gar was too star struck by him to give even an ounce of concern to the selfish attitude that was just radiating off of him...so instead, he thought for a moment, eager to please,

"Unless you wanna do something awesome for her...than say it's just as a friend. That'll probably get her more comfortable with you...give you room to make a move." he said, taking Richard back a good number of steps. His brows rose for a moment, and let the intellect of his new friend's words run through his head for a moment, still shocked that Gar, of all people, had come up with an idea that was so...fail-safely ingenius.

"That's good...wow, good job." he said, slowly, for the first time, not finding it hard to give the short little blonde guy a little credit. Gar shined at the compliment and looked up at his celebrity friend through pair of gleamning eyes,

"I read it in my mom's Cosmo this morning." he announced proudly, making Richard stop for a moment and swallow. Had he just...heard that right? From _Cosmo_? The magazine for women who are middle aged and single? (A/N: NOT trying to insult any women out there! I'm just kinda putting Richard's thoughts into the reality-like point of view.) His dark brows crinkled and he turned his gaze to the ground, shaking his head, and trying to think of something to say that wouldn't hurt the little guy's feelings. Of course...the look on the playboy's face simply made Gar curious.

"What?" he asked. Richard closed his eyes and touched his thumb and middle finger to the crest of his nose. Don't be rude...don't be rude... Ah, to hell with it.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked, but the bell rang before Gar had the chance to answer. He thought for a moment and looked suddenly clever,

"Well, now I'm late for class..." he said through a cocky/wanna-be charming grin, and shrugged hopefully. Richard furrowed his brows and tried to think of something to say, aside from 'you're a freak'. His mind fell flat, so he looked to the floor for a moment, swallowed, shook his head, and started to turn,

"Point taken, see you later." he said, as he made his way away, and towards his class, shaking his head, and trying to get the image of his little friend reading Cosmo out of his head.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Alrighty guys...another chapter! Lol...hope you liked it. I know I didn't do the best job at actually _writing_ it...but either way, I still hope y'all enjoyed reading it.

PLEASE review and tell me what you thought.


	15. Chapter 15: The Night

Soooo...updated, this story is. Lol...hope you guys like this chapter!  
>I know it took a little extra time to get up...but I thank you guys for baring with me:)<p>

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

She woke with a start around 2:30 a.m., trembling uncontrollably and trying to fight the urge to cry. Fear wrapped around her like a suffocating blanket, and the post-nightmare paranoia was fresh. Her green eyes gazed through the room, but she couldn't see much of anything, the darkness was so think you could cut it with a knife. There was a tiny strip of light that stretched across her floor from the tiny gap between her curtains, but other than that, she was blind to the pitch blackness.

Kori couldn't remember anything from her dream...just the heart-pounding feeling that you get when you're utterly terrified and on the verge of panic. The strange thing, though, was that Richard's voice was circling around the back of her mind... Had she dreamed of him? Is that why she heard him calling her name? She couldn't wrap her head around it... '_Kori...? ...open your eyes... Look at me...' _Gah, get it out! She didn't want to hear this! Not because his voice was bothersome, no. If anything, she reluctantly that she found the sound of it soothing, above anything else. But it...the dream made it sound as if she was dead...or dying... Falling away from him, and clinging onto nothing but his sound. And she didn't like that. It was unnerving that...they seemed close in her dream...and she was...dying?

She shuddered...no. She didn't want to think about this anymore. Waster thought, she filed it as, and tried to put it to the back of her mind as she pulled her pillow into her chest and held onto it...as if it could provide some kind of stability for her. '_Come on, stay awake...' _She shook her head, hoping to shake out the sound that was ringing through her ears, and angled to pillow to act as a massive ear muff, hoping to block out the sounds... "I'm sorry, Richard...I'm so sorry..." this time it was _her_ voice. '_Shh...you're fine...stay with me...'_ he answered...

At this point, her eyes were watering, and every ounce of blood in her body felt cold and sharp. She couldn't keep from shaking, as she looked around the room for something to distract her...but it was too dark to see anything. She whimpered softly as the goosebumps that covered her arms and legs began to almost sting with intensity, and she shook her head again. It was just a dream, she tried to tell herself... Don't give it a second thought...it was just a dream... But it didn't help. Dream or not, she was scared... And dream or not, she didn't want to be alone...

There was a moment where she stopped and cursed herself for being so immature about this. It was a nightmare. She'd had them her whole life. But no...once Richard was pulled into the mix, it was suddenly too much for her to handle? She was almost furious with herself...but it didn't change anything... Some part of her just...wanted to see him...wanted to talk to him, hear his voice in person...put a hand on his shoulder or something of the sort...just to make sure he was really there. She didn't know where those feelings were coming from. But the more she acknowledge them, the harder they were to ignore. She tried putting them in the back of her mind but it did absolutely nothing to help. She knew she didn't want to be alone. The goosebumps and the trembling of her entire body was enough to assure her of that. But she...she wanted to see Richard...but she didn't want to actually go see him...

A mental battle went on in her head for the next agonizing thirty seconds or so. She wasn't sure if she should get up and go talk to him, or if she should just wade out the night alone. She felt awkward...they were _barely_ friends, at this point. In fact, she'd rather call them acquaintances, because a handshake doesn't really pull a friendship out of thin air, in her opinion... But he's kind of given her the impression that he was trying to give her the next step, signaling more he'd be willing to put up with from her or something along those lines. She knew he was trying to get her to believe that he was dependable...or a good friend for her. And if he's so willing, would she be taking total advantage of him by going to see him in the middle of the night, to shake the slight trauma of a cryptic dream? She didn't want to think of it that way...but she came to the conclusion that she needed to see him, and weakly gathered the courage to lift herself off her bed and leave the lonely dwelling, known as her room.

Her feet drug as she began making her way out of her empty bedroom, and into the dimly lit-and almost creepy-hallway. Now, Kori was a huge fan of horror movies...so her little fetish granted a slight sting of paranoia to the main train of thought that was traveling through her head. Whilst she zoned out, she partially imagined a guy in a ski mask leaping out at her from behind the curtain with an ax or long blade, waiting to carve her up like a Christmas ham. But that was, of course, her imagination...and no where near as scary as the moments that awaited her in the near future whilst in Richard's room, trying to make comforting conversation... The mere thought of going to him was making her tremble as she stepped warily through the night, in search of her roommate's company.

A wave of doubt washed over her, and forced her to hesitate, stopping in her tracks and re-evaluating what she was doing. For a moment, she almost turned around and walked back to her room to pretend that nothing had happened...but her courage knocked once again, on the pack of her mind, and she managed to continue strutting slowly in the direction of her hopeful savior from such an ominous dread.

The only sound that could be heard through the long hallways either came from the slowly ticking hands of the clocks she passed, or the brushing of her socked feet over the freshly polished hardwood floors. She tried playing one of her favorite songs through her head to block out the fierce pressure of the silence, but found herself incapable of completely shutting all else out. She listened as her gracefully place footsteps sounded-almost undetectably-and imagined she was creating a kind of metronome with her even steps. Anything that could put her mind at ease or distract her from her seemingly unwise action. She didn't want to see Richard...but she felt she needed to. Something about the sound of his voice soothed her...something about him comforted her...and something about the accidental physical contacts that passed between them made her feel safe and protected. Even if it was something as unintentional as bumping into each other or a minute as his hand on her shoulder for a moment. Anything with him...she needed right now. So she pressed forward, breathing carefully, and praying her walk would start feeling at least a little bit shorter.

Have you ever walked down a hallway nervously, to the point...no matter how fast you were walking, it seemed as if you weren't going anywhere? That's how she felt... Her reality portrayed the disposition that set her pace as generally useless. The hallway just seemed to get longer, the further she walked...and his room seemed to inch more and more away from her... As you can imagine, this didn't help her nerve, but at this point, she was determined. So she forced her eyes closed and continued down the way blindly, holding her breath, and counting to three over and over again in her head until she'd done it a good dozen times.

It was like magic, the way she turned corners without looking...the way she managed not to collide with anything as she maneuvered. Time seemed to float by, so long as she was blind, and holding her breath...but something began poking out of the back of her mind, and she froze. She wasn't sure what it was that made her stop walking...but something inside her caused her legs to become still, and air to wriggle its way into her lungs. By instinct, she opened her eyes to study her surroundings, and found herself standing in front of a door. Richard's bedroom door. A gulp gathered in the back of her throat and she forced it down, harshly, looking at her feet, than back to his name engraved on the wall just above the door.

Her fingers felt like lead as she curled them and gently thrust them against his bedroom door. For a moment, she wondered if she even knocked at all...the sound of her heart pounding in her ears had drowned out the sound of anything else, but the gentle throb in her hand assured her that she'd already lightly called to him. Her blood was racing through her veins at a velocity powerful enough to make her quiver as the shaky breaths passed through her lips. She didn't know why she was so nervous... She knew why this was awkward for her and what made her wary...but she couldn't figure out what it was that made her so...annoyingly scared of talking to him. Though...that's probably only half true. She didn't like depending on people. Not in any aspect of the word. Even if it was just talking to someone because you couldn't sleep. Because this would require a temporary lowering of her powerful guard...she'd be letting him in, even if it was just a little bit. And that didn't sit well with her...

Regardless of any of this...she still remained in place. Her feet glued firmly in place, right in front of his bedroom door, as she waited silently for him to sleepily (hopefully awake) answer her. She waited to see his deep blue eyes look her over with a light wash of surprised concern, and would than expect an inquiry of why she was there in the first place. She would tell him, and hope he would invite her into his room to talk it out. She knew he was sweet at heart, so she had little doubt that he would ask her to come in... Which made her only more eager for the door to open and reveal his friendly face.

She remained as quiet as possible, and listened anxiously for what could be going on from the other side of that door. She listened deeply into the chilling silence...and after thirty or so seconds without sound, she rounded up the strength to try once more. Kori took in a sharp breath and fought back the voice in the back of her head that was screaming at her not to bother him. He's probably asleep, it told her...and it was probably right. But what would one more try, hurt? If it didn't wake him the first time, why would it wake him the second?

Her small fist rose up to the level of her chest and threw itself into the face of his door three rhythmic times, but before she could lower it this time, the door crept open a touch, stretching a beam of light onto her beautiful face. Momentarily, she hesitated...the door hadn't been latched all the way and had crept open a tad...but did that give her the right to peer inside? His desk lamp was on...surely that mean that he was awake? As her slender fingers wrapped around the brass doorknob, her breath caught in her throat as thoughts of what could possibly be waiting for her on the other side of the door.

"X'hal, let him be clothed…" she prayed to herself, as she slowly touched her hand to the knob and pushed the door open. It was almost in slow motion that his dark room came to view, and even slower did her vision adjust to the lighting. She was nervous about what site awaited her as her site to allow her a visual of her surroundings. Did he have a girl over? She hadn't thought about that... He _is_ the school playboy, after all. She'd not seen him with anyone yet. But that could be because he keeps everything in his room. Mmm, this was a bad idea... Especially considering they weren't on the greatest terms in the world. But she had already gotten herself in this...so it was pointless to turn back now.

"R-Richard…?" she called out in curious hope, as she inched cautiously through the open doorway and into a dwelling that she hadn't been in before. Though her mind was set firmly on finding her handsome roommate and pulling up conversation with him, she got slightly distracted... The beautiful girl couldn't help but notice how strongly this room smelled of him. It was a kind of 'in-your-face' type thing...but for some reason it was relieving, if not a little enjoyable, and did a good job of pulling her focus more to him, than the situation at hand...but only for a moment. Because the sound of her own voice echoing his name through her mind sent awareness through her mind, and she set her attention back to looking for him.

Kori knew she had called out a bit louder than she'd wanted, but on the other hand, it was reassuring that he heard it. If he was there, that is. But wait, why wouldn't he be there? It's his room, and it's a little past three in the morning, so...where else would he possibly be? It was Thursday. There shouldn't be a party anywhere tonight. But he's...not in his bedroom? No, he's not. She confirmed that with another minute of solid silence. Might he be in the gym? Well it's worth a try...

So off she went toward the gym, two floors down...and five hallways and three flights of stairs later, she found herself standing at the completely empty weight room, cluelessly confused. Maybe the kitchen? ...no. He wasn't there. Perhaps she'd missed him? Retracing her steps, she made sure to take some extra care in checking the bathrooms along the way, finding no sign of him no where as she returned to his bedroom door. Maybe she hadn't looked hard enough, or called loud enough to get his attention. Hopeful, she knocked roughly on his partially open door and listened for some kind of movement or speech.

"Richard?" she called out, one final time, and froze every part of her, waiting painfully for a response. She was answered by imaginary crickets, and shivered at the sudden wall of loneliness that struck her square in the face. Suddenly she felt vulnerable... Richard was no where to be found...no where to help her...no where to save her from the fear that wrapped around her as she slept. She was alone...and she had to deal with that. So nervously, she made her way back to her room, and back to her bed that had become cold in her absence. She climbed under the covers and laid down, squeezing her eyes shut, and trying to shut out the bad feelings coursing through her veins.

She didn't understand...she'd scaled almost the entire house, and...he was no where to be found. She checked the bathrooms...the study...kitchen...living room...gym...and his bedroom...but where was he? He hadn't been in any of those, and she had no where else to look, aside from Bruce's room, of which she dared not visit. She was so confused, and buried her face deep into her pillow, trying to fight the tears that were manifesting in her lost green eyes, and pulled the covers over her head.

"What's...going on?"

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...whatcha think about it? Getting kinda interesting? I know this chapter was kind of boring and drawn out, so I tried to make it a quick read at the end, but either way, I hope it got some of y'all's attention!

Please tell me what you guys thought!


	16. Chapter 16: Morning Confrontation

New chapter:) Hope it's not too disappointing... This won't be anything all that special, but here it is; the morning confrontation. It's early! But really short...

Either way, I hope you enjoy it.

Please R&R.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kori drowsily made her way down the long staircase in route for the kitchen. There were thoughts about last night circling in her head, as they had been since she attempted going back to sleep. Needless to say, she didn't succeed and had very little rest to fuel herself today...but for some reason, she felt fine. Nothing other than the average 'first thing in the morning' sleepiness. But than, that was kind of big for her, because she functioned differently than most people around here. She was naturally energized, and today she was groggy...it was a decent fall for her. She didn't like being tired...but never really used caffeine to fuel herself. It tended to have the kind of effect on her that alcohol had on most people. It slightly disoriented her, while waking her up. So she was always hesitant on using it... Though for today, she kind of assumed herself necessary for an exception.

Tea or coffee? The light debate rang loudly in her head, and she tried to imagine which of the two would taste better this morning... Tea was so mellow...she needed something with a kick. And, if you've ever had coffee, that was just what she needed. She let the idea of a hot cup of strong coffee settle into her thoughts as she made her way into the kitchen, eagerly. Though...to her surprise, when she turned the corner, she found that the room wasn't empty. Instead, right at the end of the table, sat Richard. Yes, Richard. The guy she'd spent a good half hour searching for last night. And he was sitting there, looking at her with a 'good morning' grin, as if nothing was going on.

Kori furrowed her brows delicately, and looked him over, returning the smile for a moment to keep from being rude, but trying to measure the happenings of the last several hours, accurately. After finding herself incapable, she offered her phantom roommate a nod in return for his silent greeting, and studied him warily. He seemed completely fine... Freshly showered...hair spiked to perfection...clean clothes...cleanly shaved. She couldn't find a thing wrong with him...so she gave up the attempt of trying, and forwarded her attention more to the situation at hand as well as her manners. But before she managed to utter a sweet 'good morning, Richard', the handsome young man moved his arm to reveal two steaming mugs of already made coffee, and slid one across the table to her. She smirked curiously, and took it, glancing up at him.

"Thank you." she said in slight surprise, reaching forward and taking the cup in her hands. Kori lifted the small porcelain mug to her nose and inhaled deeply, smiling at the heavenly scent that fluttered in her senses. She touched the drink to her lips and poured a small sip of it into her ready mouth, letting the taste flood her tongue before she actually swallowed. Richard watched her expectantly and waited for some kind of reaction from her...and he got one, when her face gently lit up.

"Oh wow, it's perfect." she chirped, happily, forcing a grin onto his handsome face. He couldn't help but make a mental note of how adorable she looked at that moment. Her hair twisted into twin braids, and her sweater tied around her waist, smiling cutely at something as simple as a great-tasting cup of coffee. There were many smart ass remarks running through his head...but for the first time in a little while, he felt like cutting the crap, ignoring the cheesiness (of which, he was quite capable of) and simply being himself. So her looked her over with a playful smile,

"It's my special talent." he teased, looking her in the eye with charm flinging from his face, and flying straight in her direction. The redhead was admittedly amused by his comment, and giggled gently, trying to make a straight face as she looked him over, flattened her forehead, and rose a brow at him, trying to look serious.

"It's an impressive one." she spoke with no other emotion in her voice, other than a friendly one. Richard couldn't help but grin as he noticed how well their senses of humor linked together. He knew, of course, that it wasn't the right time to actually say something about it. Instead, he was perfectly content, watching her smile to both herself and him, and drink her coffee merrily. In fact, he really wasn't sure he could think of a time that he _wouldn't_ be happy with just sitting and watching her. Not only was she **gorgeous**, but she was genuinely fascinating to him. Everything she did was somehow original, even if it was as simple as nodding her head and smiling. Every move she made was some how all her own...and he couldn't get over it if his life depended on it.

Looking her over, he was perfectly awestruck. He'd never seen anyone so naturally beautiful before... But in addition to that, he'd never wanted to be involved with anyone so badly. He wanted to get to know her. He wanted to get close to her...so badly, that the desire BURNED inside him. He was painfully determined to become something to her. And she sensed it. Her eyes were always watching him warily, and this was no exception. She knew he was a good guy. She'd established that already. But still, something about him scared her. And until she knew what that something was, and successfully got over it...her guard was going to be held high over her head. And this fact that she'd just acknowledged this, brought up something that...she couldn't fight the urge to ask him about. She took in a deep breath, looked down, and than back up to him,

"Hey, Richard…where were you last night?" she asked shakily, slightly narrowing her eyes to hint to him that she was on to something. This took him back a step, and caused him to look her over in light shock. His dark brows furrowed into a tight scrunch.

"What do you mean?" he asked her, making sure to play it cool. He wasn't sure why she would ask him something like that. It didn't really make any sense... What did she mean, where was he? Why would she wonder that? To her, where else would he be, other than at home? He was definitely nervous about what she was getting at. But experience had taught him a lot. He wasn't going to rush into these kind of conversations. That leads to slipping some information out that shouldn't be revealed. What he had to do was hold back and see what she knew, before anything else was said. So he watched her, and held his breath, hoping that whatever she was getting at was silly and nothing worthy of concern. Though something about the way she was staring at her lap, playing with her slender hands, made him raise a brow expectantly.

"I wanted to talk to you…I went to your room last night. You weren't there." Kori's voice was nervous, he could tell, and she wouldn't take her hands off her fingers as she weaved them together and made her thumbs rival each other. She felt kind of dumb, bringing this up to his attention. She didn't entirely like letting him know that she'd needed him last night. He hadn't been there. So why did he need to know about it? She sighed to herself...well, it had to be said for her to ask him why he hadn't been home in the middle of last night... So it made sense. She just didn't really see it coming out the way it had. But either way, it was out in the open now, and Richard was taken back in light surprise, while his beautiful redheaded roommate was feeling nervous and slightly embarrassed.

His first thought on what she'd said to him was the recognition that she had wanted to talk to him last night. It was a pleasant breath of fresh air...in fact, he was slightly kicking himself for having missed it. He could only imagine that it was important and would've loved to know that she needed from him. But, of course, there was also the part of him that was angry with himself for not being there for her when she needed him to be. In his mind, this was his chance to have been there for her...for her to depend on him, and he wasn't there to prove to her that he's trustworthy. He felt severely put on the spot, and wasn't sure what to say. He needed to answer her, but it was hard to clearly hear his thoughts over his guilt...but he'd have to try. He looked her gorgeous face over and furrowed his brows,

"Oh…I was in the gym." he told her, silently cursing the lameness of his excuse, and watching her face fell gently as his words registered in her mind. She didn't know what she'd expected...but it wasn't a lame excuse that was completely untrue. He'd just lied to her, and she knew it. She'd checked the gym...twice... So at this point, she wasn't sure if she felt more disappointed or hurt, but quickly shook it off. He wanted to lie to her, that was his business. She just had to keep a little benefit of the doubt that he had good reasoning for what he did, and try not to be too upset over it. She put on a gentle smile, and looked up at him, nodding and lifting her coffee up to prepare for another sip after she spoke.

"I see…" she muttered lightly, touching the cup to her lips and letting the hot, sweet liquid engulf the majority of her senses for the moment. A dry lump caught in Richard's throat, and he couldn't help but feel bad. Her comment left a lot of room for negative thoughts and/or feelings on both of their parts, and he really didn't like that. What did she want from him, he wondered...but the only way he was going to find out was to get to the bottom of it, himself. So he took a gulp of black coffee from his mug, and looked at her from across the table as he watched her sit down.

"Yeah, sorry. Everything okay?" he asked her, trying to sound as sincere as he could. He really wanted to know what had been wrong with her, that made her need to go to him in the middle of the night... He wasn't trying to forcefully pry, so he gave her a look that would've comforted most people...and for once, she was one of them. Her green eyes looked up at him sweetly, and a forgiving smile swept across her features, taking over the shape of her mouth. She found it refreshing how he seemed concerned...refreshing and soothing, if she could say those were the right words. Either way, she studied him for a moment before she said anything in response.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." she said sweetly, trying to let him off the hook (at least for now). As much as Richard appreciated her forgiveness, he didn't want to let it go just yet. He'd let her down, but he wasn't going to let it happen a second time, and dropping the fact that she'd previously needed him was letting her down. Or...at least, that's what he seemed to let himself think. So he rose a brow at her and thought for a minute, grinning lightly as he watched her sip her coffee in satisfaction.

"Well you wanna tell me on the way to school?" he asked, copying her action, and taking a drink from _his_ cup. Kori listened to his question once more in her mind, before she let the smirk show. She loved the way he just smoothly slid in the assuming offer of driving her to school.

"No thanks." she said simply, watching him eagerly to see his reaction. Needless to say, he was disappointed. He thought he'd been smooth in setting up her ride to school under the cover of the 'be there for you' comment. He was really starting to love the way she always called him on his crap. She saw through all his playboy tricks that he'd learned throughout the years, and was somehow naturally able to target exactly what he was getting at. But fine. If she was going to take the play out of it, than he would just have to be up front and straight forward with her. Play her with her own tactics. A wide grin spread across his face, and he put on his best look of charm,

"Well how about just a ride?" he asked her, spinning amusement into her bowl of morning emotions. She loved the way he was just so sure of himself and had no doubt that he would get what he wanted out of the situation. But at least he was going about it the non-bullshit way. So she smiled at him and quickly downed the rest of her coffee.

"So, the gym, huh?"

XOXOXOXOXOX

Well, I know it was a short little thing, but it was a really early update, so...I kinda think that's fair! Lol...

Anyway, I know it wasn't too eventful, but I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Please tell me that you thought.

Hope I didn't disappoint.


	17. Chapter 17: The Ride

Soooo...here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it, and I thank you for all your reviews! They really make my day:)

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Ready to go?" he asked, gesturing towards the garage, as he watched Kori rinse her empty coffee mug out in the sink and set it down on the counter. He loved how considerate she was. The way she always tried making things easier for everyone else was...inspirational, to say the least. Not that he was going to take such a leap as to do the dishes...but it still gave him something to think about. His eyes looked her over for a moment as she turned around angelically to face him, and flashed him a sweet smile,

"Yes." she sang, happily, pulling a smirk from his lips. Richard reached forward and gently took her wrist into his grasp enough to give him the position to direct her into his intended direction. As they walked, Kori let her eyes fall to the sight of his hand on hers, and wondered whether or not she should pull away and simply follow him. She didn't want him to get the hang of the idea that they were under the terms that he could use physical means to direct her all the time. She knew, of course, that he meant nothing by it...and she also knew that this was a harmless action. But something in her told her it would be best for _her_ to free her hand from his grasp...even though she didn't actually make herself _physically_ follow through.

No. She let him hold onto her and drag her down the back hall. She also knew where they were going at this point. There was no option (aside from the laundry room, which made no sense for them to enter at this time) other than the garage as their destination. Though...she suddenly felt dumb for using that as her reasoning, instead of the fact that they were leaving and needed a way to get to school-hint-hint-via car. Either way, she watched him walking in front of her and mentally counted the amount of time before the reached the garage, she could be free of his hold without being rude.

Time seemed to creep by agonizingly before they reached the large steel door, but it felt like it took even longer for Richard's hand to reach the silver knob and turn it to open. Kori's green eyes watched as the door swung open, and felt his hand give hers a light tug before releasing it. For a moment, she could still feel where his grip had been on her slender arm, but quickly shook it off and entered the dark room after him. Neither of them could see a thing, due to the thick darkness that drowned the garage. It took less than ten seconds for the handsome young man to reach over and flip the switch, suddenly sending lights flooding the length of the room...revealing a very large and intimidating black Harley Davidson, making the redhead's jaw slightly drop.

"What do you think?" Richard's eager voice was the first thing to snap her out of her shocked trance, but to his surprise, she didn't look thrilled like most other girls would have if they'd been in her situation. In fact...if anything, she look taken back in a somewhat scared kind of a way. It was kind of surprising for him to see...Kori didn't really seem like the kind of girl who would be frightened by something a simple or common as a motorcycle...yet, here she was, looking at it as if it were something straight from outer space, even though she was trying to hide it by recovering quickly and giving it 'the look'.

"Well it's...it's something... Where's the Mustang?" she asked him, hinting to him that she would prefer the car to the bike. He got it, of course...but there wasn't much he could do. He'd blown the transmission out of the Mustang the night before, and it was in the shop. Granted, there were other cars for him to take if it was that big of a deal to her. But he wanted to test the waters a little bit and get more of a let-on of her comfortability before he made any changes or anything along those lines. So his eyes traveled up and down Kori's 5 feet and 11 inches, trying to get a read on her, until his brows furrowed involuntarily,

"Does it make you nervous?" he asked, admittedly concerned. Well...to be fair, he knew he cared about her. But he was letting it show more than he usually was, and that's something that shook the beautiful redhead lightly. She wasn't used to hearing compassion in his voice. She knew it was there. But it was usually covered by a think layer of attitude and ego. Either way...he was being open with her, so she may as well return the favor.

"Well, it doesn't exactly seem safe." she told him softly. Now, normally, she wouldn't have admitted being afraid of something like that. She'd been through and on things far scarier than a bike, so that only made it seem more odd. Mean was a soft spot for her. She wasn't really sure what it was that made it so rough for her...maybe the face that it was just another thing that made her vulnerable? She couldn't tell you if her life depended on it. It just made her feel uncomfortable to talk about things she was afraid of. And this was one of them...he could sense it. She looked put off. Uneasy. Nervous. And that really wasn't alright with him.

"It's fine, Kori. I've been riding these for four or five years. They're safe enough." he told her, hoping she would believe that he was telling the truth and speaking from experience, and not just trying to tell her what she wants to hear to get her on the bike. He hoped she knew him better than that...but in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but doubt it. He hadn't really given her the best reasoning in the world to think that way. But she _did_ believe him. That wasn't the issue. She knew they were safe enough. That wasn't the issue. The problem was that it didn't make her comfortable. But she didn't really know if that was the right thing to say.

"Uh...I really think I'd rather walk. I'm sure I can make it." she told him, trying to excuse herself without being upfront about the fact that she just didn't want to get on the back of a bike. But the trouble bubbling inside of her was noticeable enough for Richard to grit his teeth and fight the urge to cup her face in his hands and get her to look him in the eye. He resisted every desire that ran through his body to touch her, and chose to lean forward instead, and wait for her eyes to meet his before speaking.

"Kor, just trust me, okay?" he told her, watching her search his face thoroughly-most likely trying to find some kind of source of bullshit-with her shaky gaze. He wasn't really sure what his next action should be. He knew his aim...but the approach still had quite a bit of room to be determined... So he figured he'd give her a moment to weigh out her choices, like he knew she was doing, and play it neutral from there. He wanted to keep her comfortable. And that's what he was going to do.

Richard allowed his gaze to linger on her for a moment longer to keep from being rude, before he slowly turned away from her and approached the intimidating bike, pulling out his keys and unlocking the latch of the saddlebag. As it popped open, he lifted his red and black bag and flung it gracefully into the empty pit of space, somehow making it disappear from Kori's view. He paused for a moment to give her a little more time to decide what she wanted to do, before he turned back to the beautiful girl, rose on of his brows at him, and held his hand out towards her, reaching for hers, questioningly.

She looked the situation over once more in her head, before swallowed and hesitantly pulling her bag off her shoulder and stretched her arm out towards him slowly, offering her bag to him. Even though he could see she was nervous, he was still happy she was giving in, and choosing to go with him in his way. So he offered her a lightly confirming grin, and took it from her, placing it right next to his, and closing the lid to the trunk-like storage. Kori watched him step over about two feet,and lift his leg higher than she thought it would go, as he swung it over the large bike, straddling it. He than looked her over and took in a breath, hoping he wasn't pushing her even further out of her comfort zone.

"Ready?" he asked her, looking her over in eager anticipation. But he was met with the site of nerves covering her face. She was looking both him and his ride over again and again, and likely, running a large mental conflict out through her mind. Richard swallowed and tried to act cool about the situation, even though he was a little let down.

"You don't trust me, do you?" he asked, fearing the answer he would get in return, even though he knew already what it was going to be. She was trying, he had no doubt...she was trying to trust him. But he was pretty damn sure she didn't yet, no matter how sweet or believable he was being with her. It didn't matter though...he couldn't force something like this. And thankfully, Kori knew he wasn't trying to. She respected his approach on these things...and greatly appreciated it. He was genuine. Maybe not 100% of the time, but when it was just the two of them, there was rarely anything fake about him. This fact was even running through her head that moment, fueling her decisions.

"No...I do..." she began, speaking out loud without consciously feeding her speech. Coming to her senses, she swallowed and rose a brow, "But I can't say the same for the bike." she told him honestly, looking down, slightly embarrassed, but unsure whether or not she should let him know that. Richard was silently cheering at the fact that she'd just told him she trusted him, but knew he couldn't linger on it for too long. She trusted him...he inwardly grinned, but outwardly rose a brow at her, looking her over, and grinning warmly,

"Well I'll vouch for the bike. Harley's are reliable. It'll be fine." he told her somewhat jokingly, watching her sigh, silently, and shake her head,

"Alright." She spoke gently, obviously giving in, and walking up to him, taking one more thorough look at the bike before she nervously climbed onto it right behind him. The handsome playboy tried not to grin as he acknowledged how close they were to each other, and he couldn't help but steal a glance at her, by looking over his shoulder. Her eyes met his, and she momentarily studied him, before quickly looking to the floor and fighting the fierce blush that was trying to fight its way onto her cheeks. Grinning triumphantly, Richard slid the key into the ignition and turned it, sounding the light purr of the engine. She swallowed at the sound of it, and inhaled, sharply.

"What now?" she asked, innocently, nearly starting to tremble as she acknowledged this was really about to happen. She was really on the back of a motorcycle with her roommate, playboy, Richard Grayson. She was surprised she wasn't shaking at this point... She was completely letting herself fall to his will. He could take her wherever he wanted (not that he would, of course) without her being able to do anything about it. She was worried...and he could sense it. But the only thing he could really do is keep his cool and just kinda go with it,

"You might want to hold on." he told her slowly, looking down, and trying to keep a level head about this.

"To what?" she asked him nervously, looking around for a handle of some sort. Richard swallowed and furrowed his brows, somewhat eagerly. He didn't want to feel entirely pigheaded about this, and hoped she wasn't too naïve to understand that this is just about the only way to ride a motorcycle, and he wasn't doing it on purpose. Either way he shook off his nerves and avoided her gaze,

"Me." he told her bluntly, as he revved the bike, sounding a loud roar from the powerful engine. Kori nearly jumped out of her shoes in fright, and obeyed him without a second thought, flinging her arms around him, and holding on tight. He couldn't help but grin at the feeling of the chills drizzling down his sides as he felt her clinging to him for safety and stability. It was definitely an ego boost of the very best sort. She was turning to him to make her feel safe. And that was now his favorite thing to mentally brag about.

At this point, I'm sure it's safe to say he was shining in pride, as he pulled slowly out of garage-well...not too slowly. The adrenaline was already coursing through his veins, and he hadn't even left the driveway. He was trying to keep his head on straight, given the precious cargo he was carrying. Maybe when she got more used to the bike, he could show off a little more. But this was not the time for it. Right now, he simply had to gain her trust on his riding capabilities. And...considering she was straddling the same bike he was, with her arms wrapped tightly around him, and her body pressed against his...it's safe to say that he was making progress.

Something about her being pressed into him made it hard to focus on anything else. He'd had several girls on this bike with him...but she was the only one who made it hard to breathe. He had to focus hard on keeping his mind off the feel of her breasts against his back, and her breath on the back of his neck. Her arms around him, locked together on his chest seemed to dip him in a sense of sweet-smelling warmth (if that didn't sound completely disturbing). Her head rested on his shoulder, her face buried gently (and cutely) into his neck, probably to keep her view as limited as she could. Just the way she felt against him made him feel...right. He couldn't describe it. And he didn't want to. Right was right...and this was the first time something felt this perfect to him.

Now don't get me wrong, it wasn't as if she felt nothing, either. In fact, she currently had a thick twister of emotions circling around her, nearly making her shiver at the lack of familiarity. Something about the way he fit with her arms around him... How strong and sturdy he felt right there, in front of her... Something about it was warm...addictive. And she couldn't shake the enjoyment that fluttered through her body as she caught a whiff of his aftershave... She wanted badly to snuggle into him, but deemed that strongly inappropriate, scolding herself for even having considered it. Either way, she wasn't sure exactly what it was she was feeling... But it wasn't...safe. Of course, the chill that shot furiously down her spine and she caught sight of him glancing back at her, with his face a mere inch away from hers didn't help at all. It almost scared her, even. She had been living with him for the past week...and she might already be starting to fall under his spell.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...maybe it took a little while to get up here, but either way, I hope you guys liked this new chapter!

I know I didn't do the best job writing it, but I needed to update, soooo...here ya go.

Please review. Tell me what you thought!


	18. Chapter 18: Root Beer?

Sigh...I knew I keep taking a long time to update. I'm been super busy. I know it's no excuse, but bear with me, guys...I'm working on it. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please R&R.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Now you wouldn't that anything as simple as a ride on a motorcycle would be anything but harmless between two friends, right? Well...for good ol' Kori and Richard, that simple ride from two weeks ago, opened a lot of doors and seemed to change a lot in the means of their 'relationship'. Strange as it sounds, it's almost as if having sat on the back of a Harley for fifteen minutes took away every ounce of doubt and awkwardness between them, to the point that now they were pretty good friends. There wasn't that tension that they'd had previously. All the guarded one-up comments were pretty much gone. All the smart ass comments. All of the everything that went on between them, not appreciated, was behind them.

It was almost like a miracle, Richard tried to look at it. Standing at his locker that morning, he let the past fifteen days summarize in his head as he wallowed in amazement at them. He still wanted her like nothing else in the world...but he had drawn a line for the sake of their friendship, as well and her comfort. He-for now-was alright with simply being her friend. At least she trusted him, and at least they could get along and have civil relations. He was getting close to her...so one way or another, he was making progress. In fact, this signaled as a good time for him to give himself a mental pat on the back. He was in the midst of mentally congratulating himself as he swung his locker door closed, but was stopped as he met the gorgeous site of his reheaded roommate...and friend.

"Care to walk me?" she asked through an adorably playful smirk, looking him over and crossing her arms with the twitch of her brow. Aside from a gentle thrill that spun through his body from her invitation, a wide grin spread across his face. It hadn't even been very long, and he refused to admit it, but her acceptance of their new relationship filled him with a kind of confidence that made everything in the world feel comfortable. He felt almost like the least popular kid in school, getting the pretty girl to hold his hand and be nice to him. Something about being Kori's friend made him feel like he could do anything. So proudly, he rose his brow at the beautiful girl.

"I think I can manage." his voice adopted a playful tone, as he slung his bag higher upon his shoulder, and nodded towards the direction that he knew her class was in. Kori couldn't help but smile as she watched the pride glisten across his features. She loved seeing how much he was enjoying the moment they were stuck in, and intended to make the very most of it...so she reached her arm out cheesily and offered her elbow to him as if it were a corny scene from a movie. He couldn't help but grin as he weaved his arm through it, and hook a light grasp between the two of them. He wanted to mentally milk the moment that was slipping between them, and studied her thoroughly, before he noticed something about her face almost...shiny with some kind of...mysterious happiness or...pride. It not only caught his eye, but sharply piqued his interest.

"Why are you so happy?" he asked her, admittedly eager for the answer he would receive. Kori was slightly surprised he even noticed that anything was different about her attitude this morning, but couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that it was a pleasant surprise, seeing that he was paying strong enough attention. Either way, she want through a soft number of options through her head, before deciding that she could tell him...even though she had no intention on hiding from him in the first place. So she fought back the smile and glanced over at him, coolly.

"It's been an eventful morning." she spoke vaguely, on purpose, and looked away, holding the 'bait' over his head and hoping he would take it. Much of her approval, he swallowed it whole and looked her over with a raised brow, reliably waiting for more.

"Is that so?" he asked, answered with a nod, "In what way?" he asked, locking eyes with hers, and trying to imagine what could possibly be going through her mind. Either way, something about the way she looked down before returning her gaze to him made him...nervous. He couldn't put his finger on it...but the way she looked at him nearly made his gulp.

"Do you know Xavier Redd?" she asked...here came the gulp...followed by the light sinking of his head. I was like magic. The instant Kori said his name, his disposition went from warm and inviting, to cold and guarded, and he almost stopped dead in his tracks.

"Did he ask you out?" he asked bitterly, almost **knowing** the answer would be yes, and cringing before he even gave her the chance to answer his question. Kori suddenly filled with confusion as she read his mood, and looked him over curiously, trying to keep a collected exterior by raising a brow, even though the emotions running through her body were trying to calculate the weight of his emotional radiation.

"What?" she asked innocently, making him physically stop this time, and look at her with...almost anger in his stare. She suddenly felt...put off. She needed to know what was going through his head...but thankfully, she didn't have to wait long to find out.

"You can't be serious, Kor." he growled, staring her down and filling her with confusion. Why was he being so suddenly cold to her? He wasn't usually this way. Not lately, as the very least. She knew she had to remain calm and use the same approach for this situation that she tended to use for just about every other one that had passed between the two of them the past few weeks. Just act like her emotions don't get the better of her, and take almost...a cocky look at it. So she looked him over with furrowed brows, fighting to keep her patience in tact.

"I'm a big girl, Richard. Besides, what does it matter?" she asked, hoping she wasn't leaning towards the 'unavoidable "I-Like-You"' type conversation that sometimes happens when people play dumb around people who like them. Richard, however, was not amused. Instead, he creased his brow with slight irritation,

"He's an asshole!" he shouted at her, this time almost getting in her face, and viciously pressuring her to steer clear of him. She didn't entirely understand it, but she really wanted to cut to the chase.

"I know!" Kori exclaimed, 'matter-of-factly', looking him over, and watching his jaw drop as she spoke. She _knew_ he was a prick? And she was still so excited to talk about him? Richard couldn't believe that this was coming out of her mouth, and he didn't give even the slightest slice of effort to hiding it from her as he inhaled sharply and studied her thoroughly, using every ounce of his concentration in attempt to comprehend what was going on with the girl he thought he was getting to know so well.

"Than why are you so-"

"Happy? I ended up covering him in root beer. What's wrong with you today?" she told him, kind of bummed that he ruined her little story. She had wanted to surprise him with her little tale, considering she had yet to form too many other relationships with other people yet, and was definitely excited to tell him she'd already made a move against the school douche. And you can imagine, a feeling of stupidity rose upon Richard's mind, and he nervously looked down and rubbed the back of his head. Not only was he being washed with a feeling of regret from how he'd acted seconds previously...but feeling bad for obviously having taken their conversation into a very unintended direction. Of course...secretly, it was deeper than that. Even the most subliminal mention of Xavier and Kori made him uncomfortable beyond the possibility of words. A pit began forming in his stomach, simply by picturing them in the same room, and he had to fight it from affecting him anymore. So he swallowed and looked down,

"Sorry...X and I go way back..." he mumbled, making Kori stop and look at him with a light smirk.

"Ahh...a window into old Richie?" she asked cockily. She knew he was being bothered, by whatever it was, running through his mind. But she had a choice between pulling the perfect tease out of the situation, or she could be serious and comforting...and given the gravity of what was going on, she chose to tease him. And she couldn't have picked better. He was washed over with a touch of amusement, and rose a brow at her, trying to keep from chuckling at her slight tease,

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't call me that." he hinted, playfully, Kori gave him one of the cutest little smirks that he'd ever seen in his life, and tried to gently shrug off his comment, looking to the floor and raising her brows lightly,

"You agreed. I just kind of laughed at you and didn't answer." her eyes studied the floor for a moment, as she fought the blush (that she couldn't find a source for) that was making its way onto her smooth cheeks. "But don't change the subject. I'm sure there's a very interesting story behind that passive comment of yours." She asked him with the prettiest glint in her eyes that he'd seen from her before...maybe because it was a glance at the realism and leveled one-on-one between the two of them, even in a public place. But as much as he was enjoying this kind of connection with her, he wasn't ready to bring this kind of information to their shared attention just yet. He was just getting her to trust him and let him in. He didn't want to tell her this now. It might chase her off, or put a large speed bump in their progress. And he wasn't ready for that.

"Another day, huh?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't pry...but somehow knowing she wouldn't. Kori was definitely the kind of girl who would keep him from feeling uncomfortable about things. And the playful rolling of her eyes confirmed it.

"I suppose I can wait until than." she told him, looking at him with a gentle 'ha' look on her face. He couldn't help but grin at the beautiful girl. They were being playful, it seemed...but deep down, he was extremely appreciative of the way she never tried fighting anything he asked of her. She seemed to be almost psychic to what he needed, and he loved it. Looking her over, he grinned warmly,

"You're the best, you know?" he asked her sweetly, trying to keep a playful tone in order to avoid sounding sappy and...for lack of a better word, pathetic. Even though he said it with a touch of serious and genuine concern in his voice, she caught the drift that he wanted to the jokingness to show through,

"You might have mentioned it." she told him through a proud smile, before the school bell shrieked through the hallways, making the redhead's eyes widen, and search for the nearest clock, "Wow, we should get going. I'll see ya in Chemistry!" she told him in a friendly shout, as she turned down the hall and began away from him, hurriedly. He knew he only had about two minutes to get to class, but despite his limitations, he stared after her with a slight grin/smirk on his face. It was almost as if he was in a trance...a Kori-filled trance that game him butterflies and made his face feel warm and strangely happy.

"Yeah...see ya." he said, turning around and heading towards class...even though he couldn't stop grinning.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Alright guys...I tried to listen to you and do more dialogue and less detail, so...tell me if I succeeded or not. Lol...

Hope you liked this chapter, and hope for reviews!

I love you guyssss... I'll update asap.


	19. Chapter 19: The Envelope

Okay guys, well this one didn't take too shockingly long, I hope. Either way, thanks for sticking with me! I love y'all and I really hope y'all enjoy this chappie.

Please R&R.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Richard had been right. Kori saw him in chemistry...in fact they were sitting next to each other in it now, passing notes as was their new routine. Unfortunately, is was a slow day...Gar was home sick that day, so everything seemed slow and boring. They loved each others' company of course...but it wasn't the same as spending a little time with their little comedian friend. Though the energy was good, it wasn't quite as silly...and today was boring. There was almost nothing going on in class that day, which...normally would be a relief, one would imagine. But not for these two. In their case, without Gar present, nothing to do really is nothing to do. So the day was dragging on.

The teacher had been mumbling things under her breath since the moment she'd walked into the classroom...something possibly about her husband could be made out...but no one dared say a word. She was generally a sweet woman who made class relaxing and even slightly amusing. But today, as well as a handful of days before, she was out of it and down, and obviously didn't feel like doing much today that involved strong effort. Everyone watched her as she walked around her desk silently, fiddling with random paperwork or writing tools as she went. It seemed to take her minute to acknowledge the reality that surrounded her, but she slowly looked up and met the faces of her students that almost all were watching her intently.

"Today we're going to watch a video on the periodic table. Relatively easy. I'll hand out a worksheet that needs filled out during the film. It's due at the end of the class." she spoke with a smile, as if turning a light switch from out of it, to on the ball/teacher of the year. Kori watched her with silent admiration...she loved the way she was so good at hiding things that were wrong with her, and took her in as her personal (temporary, of course) role model on how to get through a bad day. Though she wasn't in any way bad to begin with, with hiding her troubles. She smirked to herself and watched the tall teacher pick up a stack of papers and start slowly dispersing them to each and every desk.

"Mrs. Kypton?" sounded the intercom connected to the ceiling. The teacher in question looked up and spoke as if conversing with it,

"Yes?" she asked, raising a brow and shifting her body to anticipation for the next few words-potential instructions-that she would receive momentarily.

"Could you please send Korina Anderson to the office for a moment?" the voice asked, making both Kori and Richard perk up curiously as her name slid through the speaker. There was the oh-so-stereotypical 'ooh' that swept from student to student, but everyone knew it meant nothing. Kori was new, yes. But she was also the kind of girl to stay out of trouble, so no one suspected she'd done anything wrong for her presence to be necessary in the office. Richard was just irritated that he was about to temporarily lose his other chemistry buddy for a little while, making the class even more boring. But Mrs. Kypton looked to the beautiful redhead and offered her a gentle smile,

"She's on her way." she spoke, nodding to the doorway to gesture for her to leave. Kori simply nodded and scoot back a tad in her chair, raising gracefully to her feet, and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Thank you." the intercom answered before audibly clicking off.

"Ms. Anderson, you heard the lady." Mrs. Kypton spoke blankly, as she shifted her attention back to the rest of the class and lightly shut her out, excusing her, logically. Kori didn't mind though, nor did she take it personally. That's just how their teacher worked, and they all knew it. So she smiled gently and began turning, before an elbow, belonging to Richard, nudged into her side, and stopped her for a moment. She looked down at him with a curious smirk and he gave her a fake flash of his famous puppy-dog eyes,

"You're ditching me too?" he asked, pouting gently, and making her smile.

"How 'bout a rain check?" she offered, rhetorically, turning away after smiling at him, and slowly making her way towards the door. Richard watched in slight disappointment as her gorgeous figure disappeared through the exit of the room, and heaved a long sigh. While he was writing his name on his daily assignment, Kori was making her delicate way down the hall and towards (to her best memory) the room in which she was being called. She couldn't help but curiously anticipate the reasoning she was being called to the most important room in the entire school. It almost made her feel important, but she quickly shook that immature thought...

What could it be, though? She knew she hadn't forgotten anything important...and even if she had, Bruce would have texted her to let her know she would meet him at lunch to bring it to her. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong...well...oops. Okay, a little light bulb went off in her head... She did drench fellow classmate, Xavier Redd, in sticky root beer...surely that was against the rules. Maybe she was getting in trouble for that. Not that it would matter, of course. She could get suspended for the day, and it would still be worth it to her. But hey, why is she putting so much thought into it just yet? Nothing's been proven. For all she knows, she could just be being paranoid, and not have anything wrong. She wouldn't know until she got there.

She laughed gently and continued down the hall. So this is the pre-office anxiety that everyone was talking about. Well...not so much everyone, as Gar and Richard trying to convince (or scare...she wasn't too sure yet) her that it was a real thing. They told her that when one was to head to the office of school, their mind would drive them crazy on the way there... It's the 'what if...' thought method. So she decided to psych herself out of it and open the door without a worry, than walk through it with a smile.

"I'm Kori Anderson. I was called down here." Kori's innocent voice stabbed sharply into the thick silence, and called attention from every person in the room. Three sets of eyes looked up at her, but only one stood out with a matching smile, and acknowledged her comment. It was an older woman...possibly beautiful in her younger years, but her face was aged...worn over the years. She had smile lines, crows feet...and her lipstick was obviously applied by a very shaky hand. But it didn't seem to matter...her aura was friendly and warm, and she seemed to be on the ball with her job, because she got right down to business. At first, the teenage girl didn't know what the woman was doing as she reached over and sounded like she was shuffling with a stack of papers...but when her hand came back into view, in her grasp, was something that made Kori's heart sink.

There was an envelope...a blood red colored envelope. And if that wasn't bad enough, it was sealed with the black and gold crest that made her mouth run dry. (A/N: This is purposely vague...don't kill me...lol) She couldn't be seeing what she was seeing... Her eyes studied the object in the lady's hand, and she fought to keep her jaw wired shut. She'd only been here for...not even three weeks! Why is this message here? She...no. Maybe it just wasn't what she thought it was and she was jumping immediately to the worst possible conclusion? But no...she knew that wasn't right...she knew she had the right judgement of what it was...and as horrified as she suddenly felt, she had to wipe her face clean of any worry and act like nothing was wrong.

"A man came by earlier and dropped this off for you. He said it was very important." the woman behind the desk slowly handed the beautiful redhead the envelope, and Kori tried her hardest to hold herself together as she felt its crisp edges touch the tips of her fingers. Although it took a fierce effort to morph a happy mask onto her face, she managed to smile at the woman and take her 'message' into her somewhat shaking hand,

"Thank you, ma'am. Is this all?" she asked, trying to convince her heart to quit racing in her chest, and hoping there was nothing else awaiting her. For some reason, she felt like it was hard for her to breathe...and of course, she may very well have legit cause for such feeling... But she hated feeling breathless...it made her lightheaded and made her chest feel tight. So she swallowed and tried to hide the fact that she was taking a few deep breaths to collect her nerves, and offered the woman a light smile, fully taking the envelope from her grasp.

"Yes it is, dear. You can return to your class now." she sweet elder told her, with a sweet-and rather crooked-smile. Kori looked her over and mimicked the smile before turning away quickly to avoid letting her see the tears that started pricking her eyes.

As she left the office, she was filled with slight panic, and tried to convince herself that the small envelope in her hands wasn't burning into her fingers with its simple touch. She didn't want to open it...didn't want to read it...didn't even want to acknowledge that she'd just received it. She was trying with all her might to fight the reality that was settling around her. Why? Why now? She was just getting settled in. Why did this have to happen now? ...and she'd only been here a couple weeks! Why was this happening? She couldn't...well she figured why. But she couldn't figure out why karma was making things happen right now, while she was happy...

Mmm, she shook her head and roughly ran her fingers through her hair. Swallowing the thick lump in her throat, she looked ahead and tried to calculate whether or not she had time to visit her locker before she was due to return to class. She was sure she would get away with it, regardless...but she didn't want to take extra time and stretch the trust that her teacher had for her. ...it didn't matter. She had to get this envelope out of her hand and away from her, even if it were just for a few hours... She had to do whatever she could to keep it from her presence of mind and act normal...and she wasn't going to be able to when it was right in her possession.

So after detouring to her locker to drop off the dreaded message, Kori hurriedly made her way back to chemistry, mentally calculating the number of minutes she had left of the day, before she was free to go home and relax, and meditate-like Rachel taught her-to get her mind off things. Her hand touched the door knob, and she took in a sharp breath, taking a last ten seconds to paint her face with nothing but her usual carefree attitude. Once she was sure she had it, she silently turned the knob, and entered the dark room, making her way to her seat and trying to keep out of the way as she passed in front of the projection screen. As she sat down, she was met by a curious look painted upon Richard's handsome face,

"What happened?" he whispered, obviously not taking the time to let her get situated before he tried to find out. For some reason, the sound of his voice mixed with his usual casual playful tone made her smile, and took away a large stab of anxiety from the stress that pinned her down heavily. She appreciatively looked at him and studied his eyes for a moment before pulling her gaze back to her desk, momentarily.

"Nothing. They were asking about confirming my switch from English 3, to AP3." she lied guiltily, trying to keep from her disposition neutral and hide everything negative that went on in her head at the moment. Of course...it was a true thing she was talking about. A few days ago, she'd met with her counselor and arranged to go into AP English...so there was at least some truth in what she had told him. She just couldn't let him know the truth. Not right now. It would surely get the better of her. She simply had to play it cool today. And tomorrow...and every day that she wasn't ready to deal with this.

"Why are you so smart?" Richard's rhetorical, as well as passive question put a smile on Kori's face, but he quickly returned his attention to the worksheet on his desk. Of course, his recognition of the assignment made her remember that she had one too, so she followed his gaze but angled it slightly to the right so that it was right in front of her...and the smile appeared on her face. She felt touched as she saw his messy handwriting had penned in her name and some of the answers (likely the ones that have already been spoken throughout the movie) for her while she was away. A light blush appeared on her face, and he day suddenly seemed a little bit happier. His random, surprising acts of generosity and sweetness never ceased to make her day... But the image of that envelope kept bubbling up to the surface of her mind. She tried to hide it, and pulled a pen out of her bag, looking to her worksheet...and noticing something.

_'Kori was in the office for the start of the movie._' ...and even though tears were stabbing her eyes, her smile was magically returned.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So there's the new chapter. I apologize for the lack of details in this one...I just didn't have much time to actually get much writing done so...I wrote a rough chappie and here it is.

I still hope y'all enjoyed it and would love for you to tell me what you thought.


	20. Chapter 20: Distracted Procrastination

Neeeeewwwww chapter! Finally! I can't guarantee that y'all will think this one is anything special.

Anyway, please R and R.

I've been trying to use more dialogue and less detail, so please tell me how it's going.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

The mustang growled impressively as the two friends pulled into the garage, symbolizing the concrete end of their school day. It seemed as if every minute of it had dragged on, and our favorite young redhead was looking forward to a long shower, and a quiet evening alone with silence and (hopefully) peace of mind. She just kind of wanted to zone out and forget the message she received today... Richard didn't need to know what was going on with her...she'd decided that. She knew he would be the sweet guy and try to get her to tell him what was wrong, but she was determined to avoid that conversation like the plague. As he shut off the engine, she gently grabbed her bag, and unbuckled, turning to him with a smile.

"Thanks for driving me." her melodic voice rang out, forcing a grin onto her friend's face, and causing him to raise a cocky brow as he felt the need to tease her a little, given his mood.

"Are you really going to thank me every day, twice a day? It's really no problem, Kor." he told her, somewhat joking, although what he told her was the complete truth. He didn't mind driving her to and from school...1, because they lived in the same house, so it's not like he was going out of the way to transport her. And 2, because he loved having her in his company. Without exaggeration, it was safe to say that she easily made his day, every morning. But Kori was polite and proper...given her roots, it's lucky she didn't have the habit of saying 'sir' and 'ma'am' to everything. Either way, she was humble and sweet, and always had to express her appreciation. It's just the way she was.

"Still. Thank you." she spoke, flashing him a gorgeous smile, and turning away from him, getting out of the car, and gently closing the door behind her. She felt kind of bad for starting to walk away from him without excusing herself...but the silence welcomed conversation that reviewed the day. And she was trying to avoid anything along those lines today. It's not that she didn't want to talk to him. She loved talking to him. But she didn't want to talk about the day. And she was determined not to.

She began carrying herself toward the kitchen, with Richard following closely behind her, watching her steps with a slight trance. He could spend the entire day watching her move...but he didn't have to. Because she was part of his daily life now. She was now designated as a good friend. He didn't need any kind of excuses to get involved with her doings anymore. So now he had little more to do but watch her and wait for his opening and jump into a conversation. If anything, he was a little excited to begin something. He felt kind of pathetic or it, but he wouldn't deny his eagerness.

His eyes studied her thoroughly as she walked through the kitchen door, and passed through it, slowly. A cute yawn slipped through her lips as she set her bag onto the chair at the end of the table and turned to the cabinets. She was still somewhat unfamiliar with the arrangement of the contents...but she still successfully managed to find a loaf of bread, a container of peanut butter, and of course (in the fridge) a jar of jelly, and set them out gently on the counter, pulling a knife out of the drawer, and a plate off a shelf.

"PB and J?" he asked her through an amused grin, studying her happily as she began preparing her sugary sandwich. Kori glanced up at him and smirked, rolling her beautiful green eyes in slight amusement...and a little bit of dull humor.

"No. XW, and Q." she said, sarcastically, making Richard laugh and shake his head, with a fierce grin on his face. He could see it was one of her more feisty days, and he was all for it, to say the least. If anything, he was a little eager to see how deep her attitude would go...though he really didn't want to push her. It wasn't like he was walking on glass around her anymore...he was just determined to be considerate about what was going on. So he swallowed this thick urges to say something that made him seem like a smart ass, and looked her over,

"What are your plans for this evening?" he asked plainly, when in reality, he was hoping she would give her an opening. Kori thought for a moment as she glided the purple goop across her clean slice of bread.

"I dunno yet... Homework, of course, because I'm that boring. Why?" she asked, innocently, not catching his drifts in the least, and working on the other half of her snack. A grin swept across his face. Oh, how he loved her naivety.

"Because you owe me a movie." he said, trying to keep a straight face as he fought the cheesy pleasure that was painting itself slowly all over him. It took the redhead a moment to register what he'd said to her...she couldn't figure out why she owed him anything...until her words from earlier echoed through her mind, making her think for a moment, before blushing hesitantly and trying not to laugh, adverting her gaze sharply to the floor,

"You're serious?" she asked him, trying not to laugh at his momentary silliness. Richard tried his hardest to give a look that made it seem as if she'd hurt his feelings. Instead of buying it, Kori started laughing gently, and looked away, turning to her sandwich, struggling to erase the amusement from her face,

"You said rain check." he said, making her stop and smile at the thought that he'd really paid attention to what she said to him, and...was willing to work for it, even if it was something as purely simple as watching a movie after school. It made her feel good...and the smile on her face made him light up, and gaze at her, expectantly. Kori tried to hide the blush that was seeping onto her cheeks, and looked down for a moment, before slowly glancing up to lightly graze his stare,

"What do you have in mind?" she asked him, playfully, trying to act as if she weren't sharply delighted his in attention for that time being. Richard didn't take his eyes off her for a moment as he thought visibly for a moment, trying to decide whether he should play aloof, or take charge of the situation...he smirked at her,

"Well, Ms. Horror movie...do you have a preference?" he asked, giving himself a mental pat on the back at his play in this 'game'. The redhead smiled innocently, allowing herself a little surprise... He remembered she liked horror movies. That made her happy. She's only ever told him that through a passing sarcastic comment, yet...here he was, showing blatantly that he knew. She smirked widely, this time showing teeth, and turning pink,

"Surprise me." she giggled, putting the lid on the peanut butter, and shoving it delicately back into the cabinet. Richard watched silently as she put everything away and had her sandwich neatly resting on her plate. He wanted to grab her and drag her along quickly, but chose to remain collected and hide his excitement... Playing it cool was more likely going to impress her, than being childish and hyperactive. So he agonizingly allowed another moment to pass between them, and had waited just long enough to interrupt her as she was biting into her snack, with a hand on her shoulder, and a grin of his lips,

"Come with me." he said, as he began leading her away.

TWO HOURS LATER

The roll credits were crawling slowly across the screen of the large t.v., accompanied by some really cheesy music, symbolizing the end of their movie. Delighted, a cute and very satisfied yawn escaped Kori's lips, and she leaned down, slowly, to touch her head to his strong shoulder. It took him a second to register the contact, but a very surprised Richard looked over at her, trying to keep his eyes from widening. He hadn't expected her to lean on him. He loved it! That wasn't the issue. But the shock coursing through him was making his heart beaty so hard, he couldn't believe she couldn't hear it.

"Great choice, I fear." she chirped, pulling her head back up and looking straight at him through a cute smile. He was slightly disappointed that she had pulled away, but couldn't avoid the door of commenting that slid open in front of him. Trying to look smooth, he pulled his head back a couple inches to get a better look at his beautiful roommate, and furrowed his brows,

"You fear? Now why would you fear something like that?" he asked. Kori only smirked as her cheeks turned slightly pink again...partially because of what she was about to say, and partially because of the proximity of their faces.

"Because the success of this choice kind of leads to the likelihood of more choices." she told him, sitting up, and scooting back to free herself from his scent and the feeling of his breath. Richard took the liberty to sit up straight as she distanced herself a little bit, in order to make himself look a little better, now that she had more of a view. His eyes pressured her for more depth on her comment, but decided to take the moment into his own hands,

"And that would be a bad thing?" he asked, leaning in subconsciously about two or three inches. The beautiful girl looked down for a moment, trying to make it look like she was thinking for another moment

"You know, I really haven't decided yet." he grins, and looks her over, locked in a trance of her. She yawns cutely and he grins at her,

"Already tired, huh?" he asked through the crooked grin that she was shamefully starting to get attached to. Her eyes fell to her knees, and she smiled sheepishly,

"Don't judge me." her voice was playful, but part of her was actually serious. Richard, for once, read it perfectly and grinned widely at her, raising a brow sharply,

"And if I do?" he asked rhetorically. Kori tried to straighten out her face as she looked up and gave him a fake glare,

"Try." she challenged him...though as their gaze locked, they both slightly zoned out, and Kori's cheeks adopted a light pink, as...well, it was a pretty common happening when she was around this boy. But either way, the handsome playboy swallowed, and was the first to pull away,

"Do you want to watch another movie, or...?" he trailed off, but it was more than enough for her to catch the drift he was trying to lay down. But she thought for a moment, looking down, to keep from getting stuck in another stare with him.

"I think I'm gonna go upstairs, do my homework, and go to bed. I'm pretty tired." she said, glancing back up. Richard smirked cockily, and opened his mouth to make some kind of remark, but Kori was quick to cut him off. "No judging!" she snapped, playfully, making him laugh in delighted amusement. He was getting a slight rise out of her? This was new...and he liked it. But still, he already had his new comment mentally calculated...making it a little more effective.

"I was just gonna say I'm gonna go to the gym for a few hours." He said, slightly proud that he got to give her a light surprise of gentle seriousness, in regards to her joke. Kori, on the other hand, felt embarrassed for having jumped at his words so fiercely, when he wasn't intending to give her a hard time in the first place. But either way, she looked down, blushing furiously,

"Oh...okay than..." she said, cursing herself as she filled with slight humiliation. Richard, on the other hand, thought it was simply adorable, and grinned at her, slightly raising one of his brows, and shaking his head playfully,

"You really _are_ tired." he teased, watching her intently as he waited for her reaction. This time around, of course, she wasn't going to overreact. So to be safe, she removed herself from the couch, as she gave him an obviously fake glare,

"Oh, shoo." she mumbled, cutely, as she turned and pranced quickly away, trying to keep from being pulled back into the situation with him, not knowing if she would be able to help herself if she heard him say something sweet. That didn't seem to matter though... She simply began making her way down the hall, and up the stairs, and towards her room, where she'd have the peace and quiet she needed to relax and get some thinking in. Of course, this brought on the thought that she still had homework to do...and that wasn't by any means, first on her wish list. A sigh escaped her lips and she walked through her door, and she grabbed her school bag on the way to her bed.

Blah, homework... She couldn't believe she'd allowed herself to have forgotten about it. Usually, she made a point to do it first thing, while she still had motivation for it during her day. Now, she didn't regret having spent the time she had with her roommate...but she found herself slightly disappointed in herself for that moment. But whatever. She wasn't going to dwell on something so petty. She was more focused on getting her work taken care of.

Smirking at the thoughts running through her head, the beautiful redhead unzipped her bag, and turned it upside down, spilling its contents onto her royal purple bedspread. Out spewed a small mountain of colorful notebooks, pens, two text books, and of course, the extras she kept in there, such as a pack of gum, a couple hair ties, etc. It was always amusing for her to go through her bag, because she often came across things she had forgotten about... So her hand gently sifted through the chaotic little pile. Notebook, notebook...pen, pencil, gum...she froze.

She had forgotten? How could she have forgotten? A lump formed in her throat as her fingers grazed the sides of the vibrant envelope. Her blar'd'lorb as her culture called it... She still couldn't bring reality to how this could have happened already...

Panic rising in her, she leaped quickly to her feet and lifted her mattress, shoving the envelope under it, desperately, before jumping back onto the bed. She roughly shoved everything onto the floor, and buried herself under the covers, rolling into a tight ball, and pulling her teddy bear into her arms. She didn't care about homework, she would do it on the bus in the morning...right now, she wanted to dive into sleep, so that she could get these things out of her head... She would figure it out...she would get it sorted...but right now, she couldn't bare the thought of it. She just had to get rid of her negative focus.

Clutching the bear strongly, trying to hide from the world, she melted under her blankets. Tearing up, she squeezed her eyes shut, and tried her hardest to block out her mind. Because for now, that's really all she could do.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So maybe it was vague, but I'm trying to do what y'all have been requesting.

Am I doing alright, or should I go back and add more detail again?

It's up to you guys, lol. You're the ones I'm writing for.

Either way, please tell me what you thought. I hope you enjoyed this chappie:)

Until next time.


	21. Chapter 21: The Bear

Okay, guys…this is going to be a short chapter…it's also going to be all detail, no dialogue… I'm sorry. Usually while reading stories, chapters like this lose my attention…so I'm going to try and keep it interesting and avoid ranting in the details. Lol… So I guess…bear with me? I'm trying to dull it down.

I love you guys. Please read and review!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

A grunt escaped his lips as he hoisted his chin once more over the metal bar, counting his one hundred and fiftieth perfectly performed pull-up. The pan that stretched through his back, shoulders, and chest was perfectly satisfying to the young playboy, and he leaped to the ground, happily. Of course, being the proud guy that he was, he had to take the extra thirty seconds while walking to the bench to get a towel, to glance at the mirror and inspect the muscles that were weaved impressively through his body.

Proudly, he grinned, as he dabbed his forehead and neck with the white cloth, freeing his skin from the sticky sweat. He wasn't exactly a stuck up asshole…but he was the first person to admit that he looked good. IF fact, there was even a mental note that he might be in better shape-muscle-wise-than his adopted father, Bruce, who has always been incredibly toned. It was quite an enjoyable feat, Richard noted, as he tried to find his white t-shirt which he had strewn somewhere unknown when he'd first come into the athletic room.

As soon as he found it, he was quick to stretch it over his head and cover his damp torso, tossing the towel over his shoulder. He turned the light off as he exited the gym and started down the hall. Of course…he had a new routine nowadays. Instead of going straight to his room like he normally would…he detoured. Took the long way around the manor… And that was-shockingly-the way that led him past Kori's room.

Of course, it may sound creepy…but he loved peaking in to catch a glimpse of her asleep every night. He looked forward to it, almost more than he looked forward to seeing her when he first got up in the morning. He thought she looked like an angel, not to be cheesy. When she was sleeping she looked more peaceful and innocent than words described… Which is why he always made sure to work out and go to bed extra late to make sure she was asleep when he went to check in on her.

So…eagerly, he made his way through the main halls of the West Wing, on his way toward the mast bathroom of floor E, and…even more importantly…towards the room of his beautiful roommate. Part of him wanted to stop in the bathroom to check his hair and make sure he looked okay, but he quickly scolded himself for; one, being that shallow. And two, not considering the fact that's she's asleep. So he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, continuing on, until he found himself outside her door.

Thankfully, it wasn't completely closed. There was a gap of maybe eighteen inches that he slipped his hand into and opened a little more. His icy eyes searched through the darkness until they rested upon her bed. He saw the form of her rested angelically under the covers, and followed it up her long legs, and finally to her beautiful face…until the site of something else caught his attention.

There was another face in the bed with her. A face that caused him to double take, and then grin in a sharply delighted surprise. She was sleeping with a stuffed bear. He couldn't believe it. The cool, collected, and tough Kori Anderson…is sleeping with a _teddy bear_? He smirked, proudly. This is the girl who has been turning him down and seemed more mature than anyone he'd ever met at her age…yet here she was, curled up with a teddy bear, fast asleep.

He couldn't help but grin strongly, There was excitement rising through his body… Maybe it was childish of him, but he suddenly couldn't wait to confront her about it in the morning. Of course…he wasn't saying that any of this was a terrible thing. If anything, it was positively the cutest thing he'd ever seen in his life…and his eyes couldn't stop staring. But something about this made him eager and excited. Tomorrow he got a chance to tell her about how he knew she had a childish little secret and talk to her about how cute she is, and figure out the soft side she's been hiding from the world.

But tonight he wasn't going to pass this opportunity up… He was going to stare like he did every other might he stopped by her room to see her asleep… He was going to watch her eyelids flutter, and wonder what she was dreaming about… He was going to watch her lips twitch cutely here and there. He was going to listen to the little sighs and sounds she made. And of course…he was going to wish that he could watch her forever…

In about half an hour, he would finally decide to turn away, and go back to his room, where he would dream of her…wake, thinking of her…and finally, go down in the morning and greet her. This was his routine every night… And tomorrow, he would tease her about the bear and turn it into a conversation about how cute it was. It was funny how he already knew everything that was going to happen to him before it even remotely began to. But with Kori, he was different. …he'd even be the first to admit that he was…whipped by her. Even though those words tasted like bitter vinegar coming out of his mouth. He was whipped by the girl he couldn't even have.

But enough about that. He hated to dwell on thoughts like that. Right now, the only the thing he wanted to focus on is what he was looking at…and even if it killed him that night, that's all he was going to do.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Soooo…cute? Maybe? Definitely short…but was it at least amusing?

I don't know…I hope y'all liked it, though.

Please tell me what you thought:]


	22. Chapter 22: K'norfk'a

So...the last chapter was TERRIBLE, but don't worry. This one is a little better, I think. It's definitely a change of pace...progress...whatever you'd like to call it. I hope you like it, though. Lol

Please read and review!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

He was leaning on the kitchen counter, staring eagerly at the door, waiting for Kori to enter the room as she did early every morning. It was, of course, Saturday...so she was expected to be a little later than usual...but if he knew his roommate like he thought he did, she wouldn't be down later than 8:30 or so...and it was 8:17 and counting. Richard found himself grinning to himself as he heard footsteps, though there was a small voice in the back of his head that called him a creeper...or a stalker...or some mixture of the two. He was counting the seconds before she walked through the door...he was listening for her footsteps. But everything in him, even though the evidence was there to tell him he was being obsessive, couldn't help but be eager...overly eager for her to come down.

And even if it _was_ weird, he found himself counting down the seconds. His eyes focused thoroughly on the door, and his heart was the only thing he heard as he watched anxiously...and the instant he saw her slender figure and long red hair, a wide grin spread across his face. Kori, the innocent girl that she was, glanced up at him as she walked in, and flashed him a sweet smile, making her way to the coffee. Her slender hands began messing around the contents of the cabinet, and it was only as she began pouring the hot liquid into her cup, that she saw the wickedly intended eagerness on his face, and looked him over curiously, raising a brow,

"Good morning?" she smoke hesitantly, watching him thoroughly, as she tried to ready whatever expression it was that claimed his handsome face at the time. Richard simply showed no kind of concern or worry, and kept his eyes glued to her as she set her mug down for a moment, before slipping gracefully onto the counter beside the coffee maker. Whatever the look was on his face was; it didn't really settle comfortably with Kori. She swallowed and glanced down, keeping her eyes on him. He smirked and tried to give the kind of look that said he had something on his mind, as his right brow cocked,

"Sleep well?" he asked her, giving a fake look of friendly interest. She furrowed her brows at him, suspiciously.

"Why?" she asked, trying hard to read his expression. What was going through his head, she wondered. She couldn't figure it out. She didn't know why it made her so nervous...but that could also be blamed on the way she jumped to conclusions without so much as a scrap of evidence. Something inside her always expected the worst...so it made it hard not to completely blame him for the lump that was forming in her throat as she studied the expressions on Richard's face. And the one he portrayed partial offense,

"I'm not allowed to make small talk with my roommate?" he asked, metaphorically, looking her over. Kori was slightly taken back by this response, and for the first time since they'd talked...she didn't know what to say to him. Thinking for a moment, her eyes danced across the counter tops, than bounced up to meet his face, as they narrowed.

"Mmm...you tell me." she inquired, kind of worried about the answer she would receive. She couldn't understand what was going on. All she saw was how wonderful of an evening they'd had the night before had been, and now, how strange he was acting. She didn't like this. She had hopes that this morning would have been as great as last night. But this time, no. It didn't work. And her head was spinning over it. He didn't seem to notice, of course...his blindness always kicked in at the very worst times. But he thought playfully for a moment, and smirked,

"I'll get back to you." his voice rang with a teasing undertone. The beautiful redhead tried to treat is as if she were walking on some hot coals...carefully. She rolled her eyes at him cutely,

"I'm _sure_ you will." she spoke, though there was still sharp caution in her voice. He, on the other hand, walked slowly around the kitchen with his coffee in hand, watching her closely as her eyes followed him. He was secretly enjoying the small battle of whit he thought they were having... Usually Kori was the one who won these things, hands down. But right now, she didn't know something that he did. And that was giving him a head start. Now he knew why she seemed to like it so much...but none of that mattered at the moment. Right now, the only thing that mattered was her. So he leaned against the counter and took a sip of coffee in near slow motion, looking up at her and swallowing,

"I know your secret." he blurted, though it was somehow smooth and relaxed. This surprised Kori. Her secret? What was he talking about?

"Which one?" she asked him, putting her thoughts into audible words, and clearing her face of any emotion other than innocent curiosity (and perhaps of touch of defense) as she made a decision to play along. She hated mind games...so she was going to put up her guard and take a safe distance in this conversation...and it was working already. Richard's brow began hovering above his left eye, and he had to replay what she said in his mind before he opened his mouth to speak again,

"You have more than one?" he asked, slightly surprised. What he had expected to receive from her was denial or shock that he'd found something out about her. But no...what she was doing was acting relaxed and uncaring. She hadn't even really been phased with his statement. If anything, she was egging more on. He needed to know what she meant...and she knew this.

"Well wouldn't you like to know? I'd like to meet one person that only has one thing to hide." she muttered, giving him a simple smirk. He would be lying if he said he didn't love what she was doing.

"Trying to change the subject?" he asked, shining inwardly with pride as he acknowledged himself actually keeping up with her this time around. He felt smarter than he did on an otherwise daily basis. He was making her think. He was making her head spin. Maybe not to the extent he would have liked to...but he was causing a noticeable effect on her...and that gave him the satisfaction all on its own. But quickly, he had to scold himself for allowing such a distraction to enter his mind. He couldn't think too much into any of this. He had to be present and quick to respond. So he stared at her, quietly, and waited for her to respond. And the first thing she did was shrug delicately and shake her head,

"Merely adding to it." she retorted, making her face look as if she were almost irritated by his slight accusation. Richard smirked at her proudly, but didn't say a word. He wanted to leave her hanging onto the sounds of his last statement, and make her want more. He wanted her to ask for it. He wanted her to be the one who had to go to him. And she knew what he was doing...the rolling of her eyes made sure he knew that.

"Alright. I'll bite. Enlighten me, Richard. Which of my so-called 'secrets' have you supposedly figured out?" she asked, growing impatient with the rude silence. The playboy looked her over, obviously, and kept his taunting 'i-know-something-you-don't-know' look **firmly** in tact. He thought for a moment on how to word his next teasing words, and swallowed, looking down, but keeping his eyes on her,

"How about the fact that you don't sleep alone?" he asked, taking Kori so far back, she almost fell off the counter from surprise. It took all she had not to laugh in his face.

"I surely have no idea what you're talking about." she spoke honestly, allowing a light sting of bitchiness to graze the sound of her words. He noticed, and grinned. He was getting to her, it seemed. He was more than pleased.

"Right." he said, looking her dead in the eye. The glance nearly made her tremble. What was wrong with him? He was being so...weird, when last night, he was so...amazing to be around. Not only did it strongly sadden her...but it confused and worried her. She looked him over, warily, and swallowed, trying to calculate in her mind what was going on.

"O...k...? Whether or not it's even true, how would you know?" she asked. She knew she had to play it cool. He was playing mind games...it was tactical. So she simply had to mimic it. But the grin that stretched across his face was so unsettling...

"Your door was open last night. I couldn't help but notice." he said, making her freeze,

"Y-you were watching me sleep?" she asked. Richard mentally smacked himself for letting those words slip in the way that they had. Yes...he does sometimes watch her sleep. But she doesn't need to know that...especially from the evidence he was just presented with that made her seem uneasy. He shook his head, and allowed his emotions to show for a split second, to let her know he was trying to be momentarily sincere.

"No. It's not like that. I just was walking past your room and saw you." he smirked inwardly at the smoothness of his recovery, and returned his face to the collected nothing. Kori's eyes walked across him gently, trying to act as a magnet and pick up any source of logic in the situation.

"But what do you mean I don't sleep alone? Are you talking about the cat?" she inquired, figuring that was the only thing that made sense in the words he was speaking. A wide grin pulled around Richard's jaw.

"No. I was talking about your stuffed friend." he let on, leaving the redhead visibly clueless. His grin only widened, "Your teddy bear." he filled her in. She suddenly felt the aura of the kitchen freeze, and had to take a moment to take everything in. He couldn't be serious..._that's_ what he's so high and mighty about?

"Umm...okay? What does that matter?" she asked, looking him over with furrowed brows. Richard smirked...he figured she'd just try to brush it off.

"It doesn't. It's just cute. I don't know many 17-year-olds who still sleep with a stuffed animal." he said, glancing at her with a single raised brow, waiting eagerly to see what she said. Though...what he didn't expect, was for her to take offense to his statement...but she became slightly irritated, and narrowed her eyes at him, slightly crinkling her nose,

"My k'norfk'a gave it to me, not that it's any of your business." she retorted, trying to keep her temper down, as she began feeling extremely insulted, the more and more his comment rang through his head. Richard, on the other hand, was extremely taken back by her comment.

"K'norfk'a? What's that, like a boyfriend? I didn't know you had one!" he snapped, feeling suddenly left out and upset. The hotheaded instinct that he often ran off of got angry at the thought of her another man giving her a stuffed animal. He didn't know what k'norfk'a meant...but something in him leaned towards it being a boyfriend...and the didn't sit well with him at all. He looked at her with slightly fiery eyes, making her slide off the counter and take a step back from him,

"What's your problem?" she asked, defensively. Richard, on the other hand, tried to give her the 'I'm more mature than you, in this case' act, and folded his arms, raising his brows, and shrugging,

"Hey, calm down, Kor. I'm just saying it's funny." he said, audibly expressing attitude, and feeling as if he were completely in the right to do so. He felt suspicious...what if 'k'norfk'a' _did_ mean boyfriend? Her boyfriend gave her that teddy bear? And she was sleeping with it? He smirked, and tried to play it cool. He was going to live this up to the fullest.

"How?" she asked, though her feelings were getting more and more hurt. Why was he being like this? She couldn't understand. What did it matter that she slept with the teddy bear Galfore had given her? It made her feel comforted. And it was none of his business. ...but he didn't seem to think so. The look on his face made her take another step back.

"You're almost an adult and you're sleeping with a teddy bear." he said, teasingly, and hoping it would bring out more from her... It did... And it also cut painfully into her feelings. Her eyes studied him for a moment, before she looked down, suddenly feeling humiliated, and put on the spot.

"Thanks, Richard." she muttered, turning to the door and starting towards it... So the small object that she turned to for comfort in the middle of the night was...childish and funny? She swallowed, and paused, slowly turning to glance at him,

"My k'norfk'a raised me. He's not a _boyfriend_...and he passed away several years ago." she said, before disappearing around the corning, and leaving Richard standing in her path, feeling like an ass.

Of course, it was only after she left, that he noticed he had been hurting her. That wasn't his intention...he had wanted simply to tease her... He didn't think of it as a bad thing that she slept with a teddy bear. He thought it was simply one of the cutest things he'd ever seen. He wanted to poke a little fun at her, and than tell her how adorable she was... His jealously just got the better of him as he got into the mind set that she might have a boyfriend...and of course, he turned out to be wrong anyway. God, what was the matter with him? He slumped against the counter and hung his head in guilt. He needed to talk to her...

_Three Hours Later_

It was almost noon, and Kori hadn't eaten anything, nor had she had any coffee, so her stomach was growling up a storm. She knew she had to go downstairs and get something to eat, but was terrified of running into Richard just yet. She didn't want to face him just yet...she knew she would probably cry. It's not that she was being over dramatic...it was that the previous night, the two of them had gotten along so well. They'd made progress in their relationship...things started looking up between the two of them...things were starting to seem great. And than this morning? He began jumping to conclusions, overly eager to jump down her throat and catch her with something wrong. She couldn't figure out what went wrong.

But it didn't quite matter what it was that happened... She needed to get out of her room and get something to eat... So she began hoisting herself off of the purple bedspread, and resting on her feet. Releasing a nervous sigh, she began making her way to her door, stepping rhythmically towards it, and slowly pushing it open. As she stepped outside of her room, she caught side of Richard just turning the corning and disappearing around it, from the corner of her eyes. Confusion arose in her body, before she noticed the animal-shaped gift bag sitting on the floor next to her foot.

Now...she had already had tears in her eyes from before, but they grew as she knelt beside the cute little present, and pulled it into her grasp. She took in a breath as she nervously reached into it and pulled out the paper, before releasing a surprised gasp.

Inside it was an adorable, blue stuffed bunny.

She felt deeply touched as she slowly removed it from its wrappings, and set it in her lap, collapsing onto the floor as a twin pair of tears rolled down her cheeks. Kori didn't hesitate... She pulled it into a tight hug, and morphed her body into a small ball. She wasn't sure what emotions she was feeling, but she knew they were making her cry...she didn't know how to react...but she knew what she needed to do... And she needed to talk to Richard.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...come on, I need feed back on this one, lol.

I know I wrote this terribly...but please let me know what you thought.


	23. Chapter 23: The Bunny

Okay...this chapter will be short. But I'm putting it up here kinda somewhat quickly, so...yeah. Hopefully that'll make up for it.

Please read and review!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

The beautiful redhead slowly approached the open bedroom door, of her handsome roommate. Many emotions were rippling through her at that moment, but for the first time in a while...they all revolved around him, with no exceptions or wandering subjects. It was completely about him. There was nothing about her envelope recall...nothing about school...nothing about her friends...nothing about her, or her home...there was only him. And she couldn't get to his door fast enough... She could see it at the end of the hall. But the only was she could speed up would be to run towards it...and she figured the noise that this would create would completely ruin the nature of her visit.

There was no need, anyway. Here she was, mere feet away, coming to see that it was hanging open a good two or three feet. A lump formed in her throat as she lightly peered in...maybe she should do this later. The momentary urge to chicken out seemed overbearing...but the urge to talk to him was even stronger, and she worked up the courage to rise her hand to the edge of his door, and knocked gently, pulling his attention, and making the site of her standing there take his breath away.

In a way, he was relieved...he knew he needed to talk to her and make things right. But he was also worried...he hadn't expected her to come to him. He thought he'd be the one who had to go to her room and pull up the solution. Nevertheless, he didn't have any intention of passing up the chance that was standing right in front of him. He rose to his feet without the smallest hesitation, and looked her over in a few different reasons... One, was that it was appropriate for her to receive his attention, considering a moment like this one. But the other w because it didn't matter how often he saw her...she captivated him each and every time.

"Kori...listen, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to-" but she didn't even give him the chance to finish his apology, before she cut him off by gently wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a hug. His eyes widened, and he wasn't sure how to really react. Feeling her slender body pressing into his, innocently was a new feeling...he knew it meant forgiveness...he suspected that it also meant appreciation. But he'd never been hugged by friend before...nor had he ever had one that was for a purpose other than teasing him. This was different...this was sweet. This was so indescribably enjoyable...and as she pulled away, this left him speechless in front of him.

"Thank you..." she spoke, angelically, adverting her gaze to the floor for a moment to keep from turning bright red in response. She didn't want to admit it, but the feeling of hugging his strong body, gaze her a surge of butterflies that shot through her. And of course, that's not to say that this wasn't mutual. Richard was in complete shock, but if he weren't, he probably would've reacted by immediately wrapping his arms around her, and taking full advantage of the contact in session. ...of course...he was in shock...so he stood completely still, wide-eyed, fighting to recover from his loss of mental activity.

"No-No problem." he somehow managed. Kori smiled humbly and slowly pulled away, taking a step back, to eliminate any touch between them, and looked him over, until she saw the look on his face. She was the kind of girl who second guessed herself on everything...and this was far from an exception. She assumed that the look her was showing meant that she had done something wrong, and took another step back, subconsciously clutching her elbow, and looking away from him, nervously cursing herself.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't...mean to make you uncomfortable." she spoke softly, feeling immediately out of place. Richard, on the other hand, took a moment to register what she just said to him, before he came back to reality, and cursed himself for remaining silent for the last eight or so seconds. He didn't want her to think she he wasn't okay with her hugging him. Because that was very much not the case.

"You didn't. It just surprised me...I thought you'd still be pissed at me." he spoke, honestly, before adverting his gaze for a moment to overcome the slight off-put feelings rising within his chest. Kori swallowed and waited for him to look back at her before she rose a brow to him and gently shook her head. She wasn't smiling, but somehow he perfectly understood that she was satisfied...pleased with the outcome of this moment.

"It's hard to get me mad, Dick." she told him simply. And his first thought was to smile at her and tell her how appreciative of that, he was. But his conscience got more of him than his instinct did, and he was washed over with a light coat of guilt. No...it doesn't matter that she's hard to get mad. It matters that he did anything to even lean towards a negative impact on her.

"I only meant to tease you a bit this morning...I didn't mean to be a complete asshole... I'm sorry." he told her, purposely making sure his pride or ego didn't filter his apology and make it less sincere. She noticed this, was was filled with surprise...though, nevertheless, she smiled at him, and looked him dead in the eye, praying she wouldn't get lost in the deep blue of them.

"I forgive you." she said, honestly, happily watching as the smile filled his face. Okay...time for a _little_ humor.

"It's because of the bunny, right?" he asked, cockily. But in this case, Kori decided to ignore it. She could see that he was trying to be cute (if that were the appropriate word) ...but this is the closest they'd come ot a heart to heart, so far...and she wanted to take advantage of it.

"No, it's because of you." she said, trying to look him over and let him see that she was serious. It, of course, took him a couple tries...but once he properly read what she was emotionally trying to portray to him, he was filled with happy/extremely pleasant surprise. He took the opportunity to look her over, and study the physical attributes of her beautiful figure. If he had his way, he would stand there, staring at her for the rest of the day. But the sentimentality in him told him that this situation was too good to waste by being a creeper.

"I'm glad you like the bunny." he said, watching the blush appear on her cheeks, and grinning. Kori happily looked down, and smiled,

"Yes...thank you." she said. He smirked,

"Well-..." but he stopped... The smart-ass urge running through him was powerful...but the site of the gorgeous redhead standing there, looking him over expectantly, and awaiting his next comment stopped him dead in his tracks. "You're welcome."

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...it was...cute? Maybe? Hopefully? Lol...

I got it up in a decent stretch of time, though, so I hope y'all at least enjoyed that part!


	24. Chapter 24: Lunch With Giselle

Okay guys, this chapter is a longer one, which is why it took a little longer to get up here...but either way, here it is, and I hope y'all like it!

Please read and review!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kori felt like a kid again, the way a simple stuffed bunny made her this happy. She was lying on her bed, on her back, holding it above her head and looking it over, but the amusement wouldn't let up. She would lower it just enough to brush the tips of the floppy fabric ears to her nose, and than pull it away again to admire its cuteness. This was a repeated process. She couldn't get over the fact that she had a new stuffed animal...and that it was from Richard! But she was thrilled. She kept mentally noting that it was 'so cute, it's disturbing'. She studied it again, and again, and again, until a knock sounded on her door. Splitting her attention, Kori adverted her gaze, to see Richard standing in her doorway, arms folded, grinning widely. Blushing, the beautiful girl smiled back at him,

"Hey, what's up?" she curiously inquired, setting the bunny down, onto the bed beside her, and rolling slightly over to face him.

"I was gonna head out for lunch. Wanna come with?" he asked, swallowing and looking her over. He wasn't exactly nervous about asking her...he was somehow confident that she would say yes. But there was the anticipation of asking her that made his heart lightly pound in his chest. Looking her over, he couldn't help but grin proudly as his eyes caught site of the bunny in her hands, with her thumbs stroking the ears subconsciously. He smirked cockily, "Or am I interrupting?" he asked, watching the blush creep cutely onto her cheeks. Kori slowly looked down and shook her head, pausing, and looking back up at him,

"I would love to go with you." she spoke sweetly, locking her eyes with his and smiling lightly. Richard wanted to tell her how happy he was that she'd ended up accepting his invitation, but found it more prominent to play the cool guy, and simply raise a brow,

"I'll give you two a minute." he spoke, only to receive a small purple pillow flying at his face at a decently high velocity. Kori smirked...he's not the only one with wicked fast reflexes, she mentally noted, before rolling over gracefully and touching her bare feet to the floor. She hoisted herself to a standing position, and took a few steps over to the foot of the bed, before she slipped flip-flops on, and pulled her wallet out of her backpack, sliding it into her pocket. Looking up, she smiled at her handsome roommate, who was watching her intently,

"Ready when you are." she announced, simply, offering him a pleased expression. Richard smirked at her, looking her up and down, and thinking of just how remarkable she was. He loved the fact that she obviously didn't put too much care into what she looked like... Her definition of getting ready to go to lunch, was basically rolling out of bed and slipping sandals on. Yet she still looked gorgeous, without even the slightest effort. He had to fight the urge to grin.

"Are you up for another ride on my bike, or should I grab the keys to the Mustang?" he asked, raising a cocky brow. The redhead was lightly touched...it was a new feeling he was making her experience. He was actually planning to go off of what _she_ wanted for their transportation. She knew how much he loved his motorcycle...and to be guiltily honest, she loved being that close to him. Though she was also terrified of being on that thing, in general. Either way, she thought it over for a minute, weighing out the pro's and the cons...before releasing a soft sigh, and shaking her head.

"I trust you." she spoke, cutely. A wide grin stretched across his face, and he turned turned a little bit, to where he was parallel to the door, and gestured to the empty hallway,

"Than after you, milady. Your chariot awaits in the garage." he told her, in a terribly done British accent. Kori turned pink and released a light laugh, looking him over and nodding 'properly' and slowly beginning toward the door, her footsteps slow and cautious, and her eyes didn't once leave his face. At least not until she was standing right beside him,

"Why thank you, good sir." she spoke, offering a very fake, sarcastic curtsy, and smiling at him as she awaited his reply, expectantly. The grin visibly stretched across his face, and he offered her a nod, starting down the hall with her right on his heels. Surprisingly enough, they were silent the entire trip down...even though it took less than a solid minute to make it into the kitchen and through it, into the door that led to the garage.

"So what are you hungry for?" Richard asked, stopping and turning to face her as he touched the doorknob and paused. Looking her over, he grew excited. The sooner they got into the car/onto the cycle, the sooner they got to the restaurant, and the sooner her got to begin their...well...'date'? Kori smiled at him,

"You said you already had these plans. Don't let me influence them." she spoke with such an ease, he couldn't help but grin...no hint at all? The amusement set in, and his smirk twisted into an upward curve,

"Fair enough." he told her, only to receive a smile from the beautiful girl, who gestured to the door he was holding onto...in other words, saying 'open it already.' He didn't have to be told twice. He swung open the door and leaned against it, taking his arm and swinging it in a half circle. He could be polite if he wanted to be. Lady's first had always been the first thing a father teaches his son. So he wanted to make the most of his...what he thought to be _impressive_ knowledge.

She didn't really think much of it...gave him a look of appreciation, and stepped through the doorway, flipping on the switch on her way in. Richard walked over to the wall where all the keys were kept, and pulled his bike keys out of the organized selection. By the time he turned back around, Kori had already climbed onto the bike, put on his helmet, and was looking at him with a smirk, patting the seat in front of her. His famous (if not, a little sexy) sideways smile made its presence visible, and he obeyed her wish, coming up and straddling in front of her.

This time around, Kori didn't hesitate...in face, if anything, she was in the mood to be playful. So as if it were in slow motion, she slipper her arms around his strong torso, and began hanging on as if for dear life, before the bike was even turned on. This action sent chills down his spine, and made him instinctively flinch and loudly clear his throat. She leaned in rested her head on his shoulder, her lips right on his ear, and released a light, and very teasing laugh. Richard dug his nails into the handlebars of his bike, and fought to put the key into the ignition and start it and get moving.

Deciding she had had enough fun, she relaxed, and went back to merely hugging him for the sake of the ride...and before you knew it, they were out the door, down the driveway, and into the parking lot of TGIFriday's...something clearly new to the gorgeous girl, considering she was slowly removing the helmet and staring at it with her head cocked slightly to the side. Confusion found its way onto the handsome young man's face, and he looked her over...almost nervously disappointed, but the read he was getting from her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, hoping it wasn't something that would make this restaurant an unfortunate choice for their afternoon. Kori seemed entranced for a moment, before she shook her head, smiled, and looked at him, setting the helmet onto one of the handlebars of the bike,

"Nothing, I've just never been here before." she spoke innocently, returning her gaze back to the very packed-looking building with amazement. He found it adorable watching the pure surprise that danced across her face...he often forgot that she was foreign to America, so when she did things like this, he was rushed with a blast of 'cute' and wanted to suck up every second he could of watching her do this.

"Well trust me, this won't be your last time either." he told her with a grin. Kori's first instinct was to smile at him, take his word for it, and let him lead her into the restaurant...but this was Richard, not any normal sane human being. So she looked him over and cocked a brow, painting a smirk onto her beautiful face,

"Confident, are we?" she asked, before taking the liberty of beginning her journey towards the building. The playboy didn't hesitate. He was right on her tail the instant she started walking, and evened himself out with her, waiting for her to look at her, and than grinning,

"Don't pretend that you don't love it." he told her, opening the door for her, and not taking his eyes off of her the duration of her walking past. She managed to wait long enough to pass him before the blush slightly lit up her cheeks. Richard, fortunately didn't seem to notice it. Instead, he walked straight up to the very pretty hostess standing at the podium, and cleared his throat with a broad grin,

"I called earlier. Two for Grayson." he spoke, making Kori's blush disappear, and her brows curl lightly in the confusion that beautifully filled her expression. She was waiting for Richard to look over at her, and the instant he did, she visibly rose one of them. "What?" he asked. She found it hard not to laugh.

"Well so much for being spontaneous." she told him with a mix of sarcasm and slight (and very inconspicuous) disappointment, though through a smile that made him smirk at her.

"Grayson...this way." the hostess interrupted, nodding politely in the direction that she obviously was requesting that they went. They were lead to a booth in the very back of the building, and sat across from each other, before being handed a pair of twin menus. The tall brunette girl who seated them offered a soft smile as she pulled her very used-looking note pad out of her apron, and looked between the two of them.

"Can I start you off with something to drink?" she asked nicely. Richard turned to look as his beautiful redheaded acquaintance and cocked a brow at her to hint that it was a 'lady's first' day. Kori smile and looked up at the hostess,

"I'll take an iced tea, please." she said, receiving a smile from the girl who than turned to Richard,

"And-"

"The usual, Giselle." he cut her off, making it a point to show that he was flaunting the fact that he knew her personal. To make Kori jealous, both girls supposed. But nothing was said. 'Giselle' simply rolled her amber colored eyes and fought to give him a polite smile, scribbling their beverage orders down, and nodding to them to excuse herself, than finally disappearing around the corner. The look Richard gave after her was kind of like a 'good riddance' kind of thing...as if her presence was going to ruin the pleasure of their afternoon. He turned to look at the beautiful girl across from him, to successfully find her playfully glaring at him. He smirked,

"What?" he asked. Kori smirked,

"You planned this." she spoke, trying to make it sound more like a growl than anything. She kind of failed, but the playboy didn't thoroughly read into it. Instead, he tried to make it look like he was putting consideration into his reply,

"Not entirely. I did plan on asking you. But I didn't know if you were coming for sure. It was a just in case." he cockily said. There was no denying that he was proud of himself for the collectiveness of his answer. But she didn't seem to quite care. Instead she rolled her eyes and looked away, shaking her head, and looking back at him,

"Smooth." she said with a light smile, looking him over, and watching him as he watched her intently. Originally, Richard was trying to fight the urge to grin at her...but it didn't really show much effect, because in a matter of seconds, there was a very content (and extremely handsome, if Kori would be so bold to acknowledge) grin on his face.

"Here you are. Are you ready to order?" sounded a very interrupting voice as Giselle seemed to appear out of no where, setting their drinks on the table in front of them, accordingly. Kori immediately turned bright red and looked down, shamefully.

"I-I'm sorry. I haven't even looked at the menu yet." she said, feeling strangely guilty for it. Richard couldn't help but laugh gently at the expression she was making, and mentally admitted it as the cutest things he'd seen today. He looked up at the hostess with a slightly playful smirk,

"We'll need a few more minutes." he told Giselle with an amused grin. She looked down at Kori and offered her a light smile, before nodding to the two of them and stealing one more glance at the redhead, before walking away and once more, disappearing. Richard took a minute to make sure that she was fully gone, before he turned to his beautiful roommate, looking her over, and smirking,

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom real quick. I know what I want, so take your time." he spoke, sliding out of his seat and standing up, grinning at her, and beginning to make his way around the opposite corner that their pretty waitress had gone. It seemed that Richard had undercalculated Giselle's proximity, and the instant her scouting eyes saw that he was away, she approached Kori with intentions that would make Richard frown. The innocent girl saw her out of the corner of her eye and looked up, smiling at her sweetly,

"He'll be right back." she told her sweetly. Giselle shook her head,

"Actually, I was coming over here to ask if you and him were together?" the bluntness of her question took Kori back a foot or two and made her turn pink in surprise. An embarrassed smile spread across her face, and attempted to use itself as a cover until she was able to recover from her blatant surprise.

"N-No we're not...why do you ask?" she asked, stuttering, and cursing herself for sounding so nervous. But she was overly curious why someone she'd never met before in her life was asking her semi-personal questions. Her first thought was that she was a former flame and was now extremely jealous...but that theory was quickly overruled as she came to the mental conclusion that this girl didn't seem like the jealous type.

"Just wanted to warn you. I've been down that road, as well as three of my friends. Ever heard the song 'Cowboy Casanova'?" she asked. Kori smirked...this girl's openness was extremely refreshing. But she thought for a moment...what did that matter?

"By Carrie Underwood? Yes." she answered. Giselle smiled at her sarcastically, and looked her over,

"That song was written about him." she said. Kori smiled politely and thought for a minute, strongly amused by the way she was explaining these things. She knew Richard was a player. She knew he had a very intense womanizing history. It didn't bother her. She didn't care at all to be honest...but she was grateful that this girl was the kind of person to come up and try saving someone she didn't even know from the pain that she likely experienced from him.

"Well I appreciate the warning, but he and I are just friends." she spoke honestly, deriving a light (and very dark/guilty) pleasure from those words. For some reason, for the first time, she felt slight pleasure from being the only girl who'd ever said no to Richard Grayson. But she wasn't going to let anyone know it...that's the kind of feeling she would keep to herself. Not only because it could serve as her 'dirty little secret' but because, to be honest, she felt extremely ashamed of feeling that way. But enough about that! She began mentally scolding herself for allowing a mental rant to take place in her head while she had someone kind enough to come over here and pull up a possibly helpful conversation. She looked up at Giselle and offered a smile,

"Is everything alright?" Richard's voice seemed to come out of no where, and that's just about when the two of them realized he was standing there...Kori hoped it hadn't been for very long...and the pretty waitress hoped the exact opposite.

"Yes, I was just recommending the bacon sliders." she covered quickly, offering a slight smile to the two of them...that proved extremely convincing. Of course...being an expert at female behavior, he knew there was something more to their situation. But he didn't want to seem like a suspicious, prying, asshole with Kori right there. So he smirked and rudely walked in front of Giselle, returning to his seat and looking the beautiful redhead over,

"I see... So, Kori, do you know what you want?" he asked, using this as a slight test to see if he could get a little more out of her. She simply smirked and glanced up at the waitress, who was standing there ready, with pen in hand,

"I think I'll try the sliders, like you said." she told her sweetly. Giselle smiled triumphantly and turned to Dick with a confidence radiating off of her strong enough to almost make him cringe.

"Medium-rare T-bone, with fries, fried pickles, and extra sauce?" she asked. He nodded bitterly. Smirking, she reached forward and picked up their menus, "I'll go place your order, thanks." and with that, she walked away, once more. Glaring after her, Richard took in a deep breath and released it in an even bigger sigh, as he turned to Kori and rose a brow,

"So what was she really saying?" he asked. Kori smiled cutely as she unwrapped her straw and slipped it into her drink, leaning forward, taking a sip, and glancing up at him, cockily,

"You'll never know." ...and she was right. The whole lunch, the whole drive home...the whole movie they sat through...through all his subtle hints and blunt questions...she was, indeed, right. He never _did_ find out just what passed between them.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So maybe it took a while to post, but what did y'all think? A kinda cute little filler chapter that could potentially start opening a few more doors?

Please tell me whatcha thought!


	25. Chapter 25: Could You Please Lie Here?

I know I put this up here kinda fast...but I was off from work yesterday and actually had TIME to write. Hope y'all like this one...though I'm pretty sure it won't disappoint. I've been getting requests for Kori/Richard progression. Viola. I love you guys!

Please R&R! :)

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Aside from still being lost in his thoughts about the beautiful redhead he'd spent most of the day with, Richard was in the gym, warming up for his work out. He couldn't stop thinking about her...which was such a weird feeling for him. Yes...Kori was this outstanding girl, who was special, and unlike anyone else he's ever met...but she was still a girl...so he couldn't understand why he couldn't control the way he thought and felt about her. What was it that he couldn't shake? It was like something in him that...was beyond his control, constantly revolved around her. It was also as if every positive feeling he received lately was purely fueled by her...nothing about his old life was enough to make him happy anymore...just her. And he couldn't understand it, if his life were depending on it.

He grinned to himself as he thought about how great the day had gone. Maybe it had started a little rougher than he had anticipated with the teddy bear blow out...but he'd managed to smooth out the edges and than some. This had, in fact, become his favorite day with her...so far, at least. He didn't plan on stopping spending time with her for quite a long time...so the times could only really get better. He loved being with her. Her smile was always unforgettable and contagious, her laugh made his entire day...and the little expressions that ran across her face ran through his mind the entire day. He was stuck on her, he'd decided. Not that he'd admit it to anyone.

For a short moment, he made a mental note that he was starting to sound as if he was obsessed with her...but he quickly shook it off as he pulled his shirt over his head and grabbed his water bottle, squirting a large gulp into his mouth. He hadn't yet worked up any sweat, but something about a cold sip of water was motivating. And was routine for him. So he set his drink down and inhaled, reaching forward and taking the silver overhead bar into a tight grasp. It wasn't until he was in mid-pull-up that he heard something he'd never expected... His name being screamed through Kori's voice.

"Kori?" he shouted back. But it wasn't more than half a second later, before he had dropped to the ground, and began booking it as fast as he possibly could to his roommate's room. Now...Richard could normally run like the wind...but the panic and sheer worry that was coursing through his veins, somehow powered his body to increase his speed to something more like lightning. His heart was pounding to the point that it almost made it hard to breathe...but this was Kori. She just screamed out for him, he had no idea why, but if anything was wrong...it wouldn't be for long. No one was going to hurt her. And nothing was going to scare her. He was going to make damn sure of that.

He almost fell twice from having turned corners so wickedly quick...but he would've just duck and rolled, than pressed on. It wasn't til than that he'd realized just how far her room was from the gym. He didn't waste any time. It was about fifteen seconds of running, but it felt like it took him forever to get to her door. He flung it open without hesitation, and flipped the light switch on, worried about what he'd find. What he didn't know, was the switch he'd flipped would light the lamp right beside her bed, and not the light on the ceiling...but it was enough to reveal Kori sitting in the fetal position, shaking, sobbing, and misted in sweat.

His heart sunk violently, and he bolted towards her bed, sitting beside her and touching his hand to her back. The feeling of her shaking made him shudder, but the concern that flooded her was more powerful than his own disposition. He almost began trembling as well, seeing her like this...he couldn't catch his breath enough to speak, but placed his other hand on her shoulder, and fought to utter any audible sound that he could,

"What's the matter?" he asked, looking her over again and again, trying to figure out what had happened. Kori, on the other hand, looked at him, her face stained with tears. She shook her head frantically, and threw her arms around her, immediately clinging to him tightly, and partially sobbing into him. He didn't need to think about this...he responded by wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly into him, letting her cry into him, and waiting for her to explain.

"I thought you were dead!" she exclaimed through labored sobs. His eyes widened as he tried to register what she'd just told him...though it was hard to fully focus when he had her in his arms, whimpering and crying.

"What?" he managed, using his thumb to stroke her shoulder as she struggled to find the words to say what she wanted to say.

"I saw you...I saw him kill you! I...I couldn't stop him! I-I-"

"Shh...Kor, it was just a dream..." he soothed her, pulling slightly away and cupping her face in his hands. He aligned her face with his and looked her **dead** in the eye, trying to lock her into a mutual focus, "You're okay...we're both okay...alright?" he said, trying to calm her down. And it seemed to be working for a moment, before her face scrunched into a look of pain, and tears began rimming her eyes. She shook her head broke the stare,

"B-But I-I-I couldn't do anything...I couldn't... It was Slade...he said his name was Slade...and he just..." she trailed off, leaving Richard hanging onto her every word. He gently stroked her cheek and looked her over, not wanting to pry, but strongly curious to see what else she had to say.

"What?" he calmly asked her. He was trying to keep from making this about him...but the fact that she was reacting the way she was to something about _him_ made him...feel great. Though it also made him feel horrible, seeing her like this. She was so vulnerable and shaken...scared...horrified, would be a better word. He'd never seen her like this. Hell, he'd never seen anyone like this. So fragile and...there weren't words to describe. He watched her shake her head...and cry...and battle with her words. But she was almost too afraid to speak...

"He kept hurting you...until...until you stopped moving...and I...I couldn't do anything! I couldn't-"

"No, shh...Kori, look at me; I'm fine. I promise you. Okay?" he told her, rubbing his thumb up and down her cheek and studying her deeply. Kori knew that everything was alright...looking at him right now, she knew that it had all just been a dream...nothing more. He was right in front of her...undamaged. Perfectly fine. But she couldn't get those images out of her head...watching everything happen to him...watching all the pain that was being inflicted on him...watching him grow weaker and weaker...seeing sides of him that were cracked open and bare with vulnerability...she violently shuddered at the thought and released another light sob, shaking her head and trying to force a straight face, though she knew she was failing miserably.

"I-I just...it was so real...I-I'm sorry..." she apologized nervously...she didn't want to burden him with this...she didn't want him to think too much about this...nor ruin his evening, like she already worried she might have done. He, on the other hand, was slightly glad to see her beginning to come around and calm down as he looked her over,

"It's alright...it was just a dream." he softly told her, tucking a piece of auburn hair behind her ear and gently caressing her face. He didn't dare break their eye contact...he figured it was one of the better comforts that he had to offer at the moment.

"I-I know...you're right..." she whimpered, nodding weakly, and swallowed. It wasn't until than that Richard noticed how terribly she really _was _trembling, so he shushed her and began rubbing up and down her back, trying to sooth her and make the nervous motion.

"Go back to sleep..." he whispered into her ear, as he tried to direct her to lay down and relax. She let him, giving in, and trusting his judgment that going back to sleep was the best thing to do in this situation. But the fear boiling within her was tauntingly popping ideas into her head that she may resume the dream where she left off. She didn't...well it was obvious that she didn't want that to happen. She didn't want to see him hurt or in pain...she couldn't bare that. Not in the least. It made her sick just to think about... She reached up and touched his arm,

"R-Richard?" she asked him, before he made her lay all the way down. He paused right than and there, looking her over curiously.

"What is it?" he asked, swallowing and watching her for a moment, waiting for her answer. She bit her lip and looked down, trying not to sound completely...well, not pathetic, because she didn't really care about what she sounded like... But she didn't want to put him into the position where he felt guilty for...she wasn't thinking clearly... Nothing her mind said was making any sense. Either way, she looked him over and tried to wrangle up the courage it took to say what she so deeply wanted to.

"Can you s-stay here with me...for a little while? ...just until I f-fall asleep? ...please?" she was practically begging him to stay with her, and he was struck with awe. Kori was sitting beside him, requesting his company as a comfort to her...it was an amazing feat in his eyes. It wasn't any kind of decision for him...this wasn't the guy in him wanting to spend the night with her...nor was it the guy who was possibly starting to fall for her that wanted to hold her close to him tonight. But if she needed him, he wasn't going to hesitate. He didn't care what else he could be doing, he'd choose her.

"Yeah... Yeah, of course I will." he said, looking her over and fighting the urge to pull her into his arms right than and there. She just sniffled and looked up at him appreciatively, trying to find the strength to force a smile, but finding herself somewhat incapable.

"Th-thank you..." she whimpered...it didn't matter Richard was able to read her just fine. He could see that she was grateful. But even if she wasn't...she needed him. And he was truthfully glad he could be there to help.

"Shh...just calm down..." he said, coming to the mental conclusion that she could fully **talk** about this with her tomorrow (if she wanted too, of course) and settle the rest of this with her after she's had a chance to calm down. But than...that's only if she wanted to. Right now, he was trying to lower her fully onto her bed...and succeeding, of course. Though he still couldn't help but notice just how badly she was still trembling. He grit his teeth and cursed the situation, looking her over and swallowing,

"It's okay..." he told her, watching her lay flat and curl to the point that she was facing him. He smiled lightly at her for an instant, and sat in bed directly beside her, watching her as she settled in. Nervously, Kori reached up and slowly took a grip on his hand, holding onto it, which he of course allows. His eyes studied her up and down, waiting for her to prepare for sleep...though he wasn't complaining either way. He was content right where he was. He could watch her all night, if he had the chance to..

Unfortunately, the shaken girl wasn't as confident or comfortable as he was. She squeezed her eyes shut as she attempted to fight back the images from a mere five minutes ago. She couldn't stop shaking, even with him there...she half wanted to lay her head in his lap, but she knew that would be inappropriate... For some reason, being next to him, touching him...it made her feel safer. She didn't want him to go...and he just agreed to stay there with her. She was grateful. But she was still completely terrified. She squeezed his hand lightly and slowly opened her eyes, taking in a light breath, and looking up at him.

"Could you please...lie here?" she delicately pleaded. Richard had to play her question once over in his head before he was able to register it for just what it really was. He tried to keep a straight face, but the disbelief was circling around his head. He looked down at her with lightly furrowed eyes,

"That wouldn't make you feel awkward?" he asked, almost regretting his inquiry as he saw the fresh layer of tears weld up in her eyes. She shook her head and looked away, suddenly ashamed of having asked that of him.

"I just don't want to be alone..." she spoke softly, swallowing, and trying to keep from crying harder in front of him. He didn't hesitate or take even a moment of consideration. He simply nodded to her and slowly began to lower himself down carefully next to her.

"Alright...I've gotcha...you're fine...I'm here..." he said, before his body was parallel to hers, and he was turned to face her. He almost wished he'd just offered to stay in the first place, considering how nervous she seemed about having asked. But it didn't seem to matter now. He was there to keep her safe from the evil that rested in her sleep. Even though it wasn't the time for it, he allowed himself a moment to look her over and make yet another mental recap of how beautiful she was... But he quickly felt guilty and shook those thoughts away, reaching above him to the drawstring of the lamp, and drowning the room in darkness, leaving only the faint silhouettes of the two visible.

Kori tried to focus on the heat radiating from his body and splashing onto her...the feeling of his breathing...and the sound of his heartbeat. She used these things to mentally reassure herself of their proximity, and calm her nerves. It was helping, don't get me wrong... But everything in her was begging for her to climb into his arms and melt into him, blocking out everything else. She knew that was wrong. She didn't intend on pursuing such an action...but the lack of contact was leaving her a step short of comfortable...

Hesitantly, she measured the pros and cons of the situation, and decided it was worth a try. She slowly leaned towards him and rested her head into his shoulder, closing her eyes, and convincing herself that he was right there, and safe. ...she even considered using her own capabilities to protect him...she hadn't in the dream...because she'd made a vow years ago that she never would...but maybe that's what...no. She wasn't going to think like that. She just wanted to rid herself of these thoughts. She just wanted to think about the fact that he was here now...that he was safe...and the feeling of his bare skin against her face was a gently reassurance.

Richard swallowed and slowly began slipping his arm out from under her. Kori's heart skipped and she immediately felt terrible for having allowed herself to assume she could get so close to him, and pulled away, starting to roll backward, before he swung his arm around and wrapped it around her. She swallowed in light surprise, taking a moment to comprehend what just happened, but didn't hesitate before relaxing into him. A light smile touched her lips...she loved how willingly sweet and supportive he was being... Her eyes were watering once more, but this time in pleased appreciation, and she gently buried her face into his chest,

"Thank you, Richard..."

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...I'd REALLY like to know what you guys think...? Please?


	26. Chapter 26: The Morning After

So...it took a decent amount of time to get this one up, I think. Lol...to be honest, I expected more feedback for the last chapter...but oh well. Can't always get what I want, right? I hope y'all like this one, though.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Her drowsy eyelids weakly fluttered open, and looked blindly into the fresh morning. She tried to focus, but was smothered in the morning disorientation, and lie still for a moment, stirring slightly, and waiting for any kind of logic to enter her mind. Yawning, she lie still for a moment, and than lightly snuggled into her pillow. There were so many 'start-of-the-morning' issues rippling through her half-awake mind...but she didn't have the mental capacity quite yet to grasp any of them in order to make any sense of anything. But the vivid pair of eyes that intimately watched her were alert enough to do that for her.

"Morning." came a voice that did a much better job than she did at bringing her to reality. Her eyes slightly widened, and she hesitantly looked up to see the source of such a sound...as if she didn't already know.

"I'm surprised you stayed." she managed, turning pink and looking down, immediately embarrassed by the fact that she'd been laying on him without even noticing. Richard smirked at her remark,

"I fell asleep." he spoke honestly...he'd been far too comfortable with her in her arms to have stayed awake any longer than she had. She wanted to say something along the lines of her confused reaction to having spent the night with him, but didn't know how to put it into any kind of words. All she was really focusing on was the fact that they were almost entirely touching, and had been for the entire duration of the night...but he had stayed with her. When she was distraught and scared last night, he stayed there with her..._for_ her.

"Th-Thank you." she managed, watching the smile melt onto his handsome face. He looked her over thoroughly...which wasn't hard, considering their faces were inches apart, and they were still laying atop one another. He made an observation that her face had a gentle flush to it when she first awoke in the morning...it set off each of her features and made her eyes stand out in the most graceful way.

"You know you're beautiful first thing in the morning." he told her, charmingly, watching her expectantly. Kori immediately felt out of place and put on the spot, sitting up slightly with a set of furrowed brows, and a fiercely growing blush that was taking over the color of her entire face. A lump formed in her throat, and she was quick to advert her gaze,

"I-I...I wish you wouldn't say those things to me..." she told him, suddenly wanting to create distance between the two of them. Richard, on the other hand, was taken back, and propped himself up with his elbows, looking his gorgeous roommate over, and trying comprehend what just happened.

"What? Why not?" he asked, unable to understand how they'd just gone from a sweet and extremely positive/relaxed to tense and slightly uncomfortable. He rose a brow and locked eyes with her, trying to figure out what it was that made things switch her from please to not. She just shook her head,

"Just...Richard, please...don't." she lightly pleaded...but his face fell and he shook his head, releasing a heavy sigh,

"Kori...you send me so many mixed signals. What...what's going through your head? What do you want from me?" he asked, admittedly irritated with the moment at hand...he knew she was nervous about getting close to him. But there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he said...he told her she was beautiful. Which she so very much is. So why did that suddenly put up her anti-Richard wall? Kori, on the other hand, could think of nothing but the news she'd received in a fancy little envelope the other day.

"I'm an exchange student, Richard...temporary." she explained her thoughts, but knew it probably wouldn't matter to him...he had his view. She had hers. But the frustration boiled in the pit of his stomach...

"You'll be here a year... A lot can happen in a year, Kori." he told her, looking at her and silently pleading for her to understand. Why couldn't she just see what he was trying to say? He watched as she played obvious thoughts into her head...but as the wheels kept turning, her face fell more and more.

"...exactly." she muttered, suddenly being overwhelmed with dread...the envelope...that sealed her fate. Period. End of discussion. He couldn't know the details, of course...but why couldn't he just...accept what she was trying to tell him? They were obviously in the same predicament... But she started to get up, hoping her comment was enough to satisfy him, and trying to escape...but he wasn't ready to let it go. He reached forward and stopped her, shaking his head, and pulling her back onto the back, and slightly into him, bringing their faces a couple of inches apart. He was trying to keep calm, and looked her over, making her blush as she fought to keep the tears from falling as his gaze stabbed into her.

"Why are you so scared of feeling anything?" he asked, making her flinch. Her feelings were hurt by his comment, and her guard rose even higher,

"Coming from the playboy?" she asked, making him freeze and back off, looking her over, speechless for the moment. Kori swallowed and glanced down, recollecting her nerves, and looking up at him, hopelessly. "I'm sorry. I just...we agreed to be friends." she said, desperate for reason to come into his view. Instead, his brow twitched, and he looked straight at her,

"And what if that's not good enough for me?" he asked, regretting his inquiry the instant he made it. Kori swallowed and looked down and away from him, her eyes partially rimming with tears, as she shook her head,

"Than I hope you don't mind being disappointed." she muttered. Richard felt bad and waited for her to look back at him, before speaking.

"You know that's not what I mean." he told her, looking her straight in the eye, and begging her to listen to him. She didn't believe him though...instead, she returned her gaze to the wall to her far left, and sighed,

"No? Than why would you say it?" she asked. Guilt slid through him, and he couldn't bring himself to hold his eyes on her...he had to drop his stare, and look to the pillow beside him as if it were the most interesting thing in the entire world. He couldn't look at her just yet...he felt to bad for what he'd just said to her. Instead, his focus was on making things right at that specific second...he could get deeper into the conversation if a door opened.

"I would rather have you in my life, than not. And if that's...nothing more than friends...I'm okay with that." Kori held her breath, and glanced up at him for an instant, than turned away. A sigh escaped Richard's lips and he hung his head in defeat...screw waiting for a door...he'd open his own... "But is that all it's ever going to be?" the courage in his question was admirable, indeed. But what was being asked wasn't at all appreciated.

"Why risk something possibly permanent under temporary circumstances? Do you not understand our situation?" she asked him, this time not trying to hide the emotion in her voice, and letting him hear the pain in her words. It didn't go unnoticed...he heard it and acknowledged it...but he looked her dead in the eye and blankly nodded,

"I see it." he began, "And I understand your point of view on it. But do you understand mine? We have a year to figure thins out." he said, trying to get her to see that he wasn't talking blindly...there was logic there. He had thought this through. He wasn't just trying to tell her what she wanted to hear so that he could get his way...he honestly saw an opportunity that could be successful and could possibly make them both happy. She just wouldn't listen...in her eyes, she saw that she had to leave. And that was driving him crazy. She just swallowed and looked back, trying him to make him see the same thing (simply reversed) as he.

"Yeah? And what if things get serious? What if we were to...fall in love? And I just have to leave? How would that work?" Richard felt a sting of hope in his chest, and thought about what she said for a moment, trying to identify the positive serge that ran through his body, before he actually heard what she'd just said to him.

"So you're saying you do _want_ me, you just won't do anything about it?" he asked. Kori cursed herself and tried to cover...

"Please don't twist my words." she managed to stitch a handful of words together to get out of answering his question. He wasn't pleased or convinced with her answer though. Instead, he grit his teeth and studied her,

"You just want to do nothing and pretend that everything is neutral?" he asked, hoping it would be a rhetorical question, the obvious answer being 'no'...but the look on her face seemed like she didn't intend on answering the way he wanted. No...he wasn't going to give her the chance to say 'yes' to his question. "What would happen if we were just good friends and fell in love that way? We just ignore it and wait for-"

"Wait for me to leave and never see you again? Yes, preferably..." she cut him off, way ahead of the direction he was going. He smirked, ironically, and rose his brows at her,

"I could visit you. It's not like I don't have the money." he told her matter-of-factly, knowing that she didn't have an excuse for that. Kori unfortunately detected the trap he was setting for her, and thought long and hard for something to say...but at this point, she could basically feel the impact of the envelope burning into her clear through her mattress... What was she supposed to say? He didn't know what she did...

"It's not that simple." was all she could manage to say. Spirits fallen, Richard looked down and released a defeated sigh,

"Or maybe you really just don't care, and I'm being stupid. Because there's always a way, Kor." he said, finally releasing her from his grasp, and pulling back a matter of inches. Kori, on the other hand, leaned closer and looked straight at him, waiting only long enough for him to look back at her, before she spoke back to him,

"**DON'T** tell me that I don't care." she snapped, with all the seriousness in the world. Richard shook his head, and narrowed his eyes,

"Than why aren't you willing to try?" he asked. She tried calming down, but her reflexes were getting the better of her. He was accusing her of not caring about him? He was crossing the line. She cared more than he could ever think to imagine. But everything right in her mind was screaming that she needed to work on controlling her temper...if she lost it now, she couldn't stay here another night.

"You-...there's a lot you don't know about me." she caught herself. Richard was unsatisfied.

"Than tell me! I'm interested, Kori, I am. I want to know you. I want to understand. I want you to let me in!" he shouted, knowing that all she said had done was fuel his argument. He wanted to know everything about her. If that was her only leverage in this argument, than there was nothing that could help her win this. And she seemed to see this as his reasoning. She moved her eyes to the wall and swallowed,

"I don't...want you involved in that way..." she said, wishing she could make him see her situation through her eyes, minus all the dirty details that makes sense of all the nonsense... But of course, he couldn't. All he saw that she wasn't willing to give anything a try, but had no good reason not to, other than vague nonsense. He looked to the floor, dropped a tight fist on the mattress, and growled,

"Fine. Give me one good reason why not." he demanded. Kori's next steps were cautious beyond words. She knew she was making him upset as things went along...but there were some things that she specifically couldn't let him know about her... But she needed him to trust her on that...but what was being passed between the two of them wasn't really something she had the place to ask for right now... But she had to try. She'd said all she could...so there wasn't much else for her to do.

"Please, just drop it." she mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment to try holding in the tears. Richard didn't want to have tension with her...but he was putting his foot down right than and there.

"No. Not like this." he told her. She recoiled and let a tear fall from her face...what did he want her to say? She had secrets, just like she knew he did...why was this turning into World War III?

"I don't want to fight with you, Richard, please." she said to him, her eyes pleaded with him for reason. Looking her over, a flash of reality hit him... This was Kori he was getting mad at... Of all the people in the world, he was getting mad at _her_? He was suddenly feeling angry with himself...no...getting mad at Kori wasn't on the table for him. He needed to cool off before continuing this...he just didn't want this to be the end of the conversation... So he sighed and looked her over, fighting the bitter taste of what the morning turned into.

"Please...promise me we'll talk about this when you're ready." he said...though she could see the gravity of his statement as he studied her. She was grateful though, that he was giving her a rest from it...she hadn't expected him to let up just yet...but here he was, giving her the out. She thought it fair to resume...he deserved that much...

"I promise." she softly spoke, now determined to keep her eyes away from him...she wasn't sure if she could handle seeing him look at her right now...all she could think about was the fate sealed under her mattress. Richard seemed to see that she wasn't going to return his eye contact...but he knew her well enough not to take it personally. Instead, he released a heavy sigh and leaned forward, slowly pressing his lips to her cheek in the sweetest kiss he could manage.

"I'm going to take a shower...I'll be down in the living room later, if you want to watch a movie with me." and with that, he was gone... Kori stared after him for a moment, reaching up and touching her cheek, her eyes welding with tears. She felt sick...she felt trapped...and she was lost. She fell back onto her bed and reached desperately for her bunny, holding it tightly to her chest, and crying as silently as she could, burying her face into her pillow.

"I'm sorry, Richard...I'm so sorry..."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Okie dokie, so how was it? Lol...tension between the two, yes. But...promising? I don't know, but I hope y'all will tell me what you thought.


	27. Chapter 27: A Message From Tameran

Okay guys, this will most definitely be a very short chapter...and I apologize. But I still hope you enjoy reading it.

Please R and R.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Even though her face was stained with tears, she just couldn't stop crying. She'd never felt so trapped in her entire life...she had the most amazing opportunities in her reach...but there was the worst thing that could ever happen to her, standing right in the way of them. She felt as if she were being pinned against a wall, by the h'arl'nuc...or the devil. Now, many would think that she was being overly dramatic about this...but if they knew what she knew, they would quite immediately change their mind. She didn't really know what to do...confusion was circling around her and she couldn't stop to even catch her breath. As quiet as she tried to be, she prayed no one could hear the sobs that escaped her lips...

She thought about her predicament...she used every angle of her mind that she could think of to analyze it... But there was no loophole...what would happen to her was set in stone, no way around it. She was stuck...she...heh, she was doomed. But a sudden bubble of weak hope began to rise within the pit of her stomach. What if...just _what if _the message in the envelope wasn't what she thought it was? What if she was just...over-thinking and expecting the worst? Granted, it was the most obvious possibility...what if she was wrong? What if she still had a chance here? And...what if she still had a chance...with him...?

She swallowed and managed to wriggle herself off the bed that she had been imbedded in for the past several hours. It took more energy than she could have imagined was in her, and twice that in courage to sit beside it. It was as if she were scraping up every detectable trace of courage to do this...hell, she almost could see herself tilting her 'emotion pan' from side to side, trying to form a small puddle to pour into her 'gas tank'...she felt pathetic...but the site of the shock on Richard's face this morning served s an appropriate motivation...there was hope buried under all the terror of that red envelope...how does she know it didn't tell her that the war was finally over? She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut.

It almost felt like an eternity, and by the time she slipped her hand between her mattress and box spring, she felt not only exhausted...but her heart was threatening to ump out of her chest. As she searched blindly for the paper ultimatum, she kept telling herself it could hold the ticket that would make her stay...and that was probably the only thing that was keeping her from recoiling and breaking into a fit of tears...again. But she felt the corners of the envelope on her fingertips and slowly pulled it into her grasp, and slid it out from underneath it's cushy dwelling.

Kori let out a frightened and well-drawn-out sigh, looking her small package over and flipping it onto the other side. The breath caught in her throat as she studied the decorative crest of the Tameranian Royal Military. She decided to do this like a band-aid, and pulled the crest apart, ripping the blood red envelope in half, and pulling out the regal looking gold paper.

_Grand Ruler II (second in line for command) Koriand'r,_

_Blar'n kori'net jkeihy'th khyir'ne granp'der elv'nel flekh's heih'se hien'ter sieast dakin' aidhtei' adne skillpnar lseih'ner air'el sdeith fiea sann sadk aleipny neiah ski'll'me dhi askeh aleihh ahnarrp dkgeh' naneg angie'cahh'b dhecht vhere'e anp masna eighce'd'e daha aheither' anvity baneiit anct'a cneiy nepgit b'nae hli'ce anyr alkseh anytir anya' eiynso nbeihn hkei kwep hpeabne anierh aneriy aleipny neiah ski'll'me dhi askeh aleihh ahnarrp dkgeh' naneg angie'cahh'b dhecht vhere'e anp masna eighce'd'e daha aheither' anvity baneiiit anct'a cneiy nepgit b'nae hli'ce anyr alkseh anytir anya' eiynso nbeihn hkei kwep hpeabne anierh aneriy ..._

She stopped reading... It told her...what she had feared... Ryand'r...the Grand Ruler of Tameran...and her brother had been successfully assassinated by the Coridan-the people that Tameran was at war with-and Command'r...Kori's sister, was going to be placed in temporary leadership. It was most likely only for the paperwork to shuffle around, but...all she needed was one day...and she had gotten it...

You see...Command'r was the third in command...she'd been charged with high treason several years ago, but her k'norfk'a had rescued her from losing all of her inheritance...but it took her away from any kind of military leverage or value to foreign leaders. Koriand'r, on the other hand, was the valued and much adored princess...she was Tameran's pride jewel...their most treasured attribute/card. She was sent to Gotham to be hidden...to be protected. If the Coridan believed she was dead, than she would be in no danger, and they would have no leverage or valid threats against Tameran.

But Command'r didn't see this as an appropriate transaction of war. She made known that Kori was very much alive and well...and she had been offered as a bargaining chip...where she would be experimented on. Where they would run tests on her and torture her...see just what Tameranians could bear. They would kill her, yes...but once she was in their custody, she would have no say or free will at all. And...that wasn't entirely her issue... She was terrified of her fate, yes...but she was willing to accept it in the interests of her people. She she didn't agree with was...with her death, Command'r would be named permanent Grand Ruler until a tournament could be held to determine who would best be suited for the next leader. And...tournaments in Tameran took over a decade...the equivalence to eighteen years on Earth. And her sister's interests were only in benefiting herself... If she had to make her entire planet fall in order to get what she wanted...she wouldn't hesitate.

If Command'r became Grand Ruler for that amount of time...Tameran was doomed. Kind of like she was...

Kori crumpled her letter and melted weakly into the side of her bed, no longer energized enough to sob, though her tears wouldn't stop falling. She had until February, in Gotham...and than she would be taken-no. She would leave willingly and keep a fuss from irrupting. But than her fate would be sealed... She fell apart. Collapsed onto the floor and broke down...

"Maybe I should just leave now and save us all a lot of grief..."

XOXOXOXOXOX

So yes, maybe this was a boring chapter, but I think it was a very vital bit of information.

Hope you guys liked it.

PLEASE tell me what you thought!


	28. Chapter 28: The Island

I have update! Mwah ha ha... I hope y'all like this chapter. It's...tense and awkward, I'll warn you now. But it's...I hope you still like it.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

The clock told her that it was about eight in the evening, as she finally began making her way downstairs, in hopes of seeing her handsome roommate. She wasn't sure what she felt at that moment...it was as if her body was entirely numb. Every emotion in her had gone cold, and every thought in her head lost optimism...aside from the ones that revolved around hoping to find Richard. But of course, even than, she didn't know if she would. She almost wanted to go back upstairs and cry, but the voice of reason in the back of her mind kept her from fulfilling that idea, using two bits of logic. One, was that...she shouldn't waste the rest of this night, when she could use it to apologize and make things right with him... And the other was that she really wasn't sure if she had any tears left.

(A/N: Warning now...this chapter is going to be kind of...irritating. Lol...not annoying. But...definitely frustrating and tense. So you can't say I didn't warn ya.)

It took a great deal of strength for her to leave the foot of the stairs and make her way to the living room, where he'd told her that he would be this evening. She was almost holding her breath as she turned the corner to see if he was in there...and she found herself shaking. It was nerves, she knew. But it was frustrating her. She just wanted to collect herself and make things right. But when she stood in the doorway and looked around, she found herself disappointed...but to her expectations. The room was empty.

She sighed and slumped against the frame of the door, hurt...but knowing she deserved it. She couldn't have expected him to wait for her after the fight they'd just had. And she didn't. But her subconscious did... And even though the present part of her mind had expect just that...for him to be gone...something deep inside her felt let down. But it didn't matter...she had absolutely no right to request or expect anything from him. So she swallowed and turned slowly...only to find herself looking into a pair of gorgeous blue eyes, lit by a light and very warm smile.

"Right on time...hope you like kettle corn." he told her, nodding gently to the couch with a comforting gesture, and watching her face slightly relax, as she twitched a hesitant smile in his direction. He accepted it, and appreciated the effort. But he could see she had been crying...though his better judgment told him to wait until the mood had been reliably lightened before he were to say anything about it. He was learning her behavior patterns...getting to know how different things affected her...and getting to know what hurt her or not. So he didn't want to chase her away before he got the chance to fix everything.

So he bit his tongue and took the lead in walking over to the large leather couch, and taking a seat. He set the bowl of popcorn he'd been carrying onto the coffee table in front of him and looked up at Kori, waiting for her to follow his lead and sit beside him...and she did. But she made sure to sit with slight distance between the two of them...which didn't go unnoticed by Richard, who felt slightly hurt, but chose to keep quiet.

The tension between the two of them was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Both of them wanted it gone, but Richard was trying to be cautious about this evening. He knew there was more going on with her than she let on...and he also knew that their '_relationship'_ was a sensitive matter to her. So he wanted to wait for her to make the first piece of conversation. Once she did, he would happily fix things...but she had to be the first to speak. He was certain. And she was scared...she swallowed and glanced to the floor, feeling his eyes locked firmly on her. It took a moment, but she looked back up at him and inhaled sharply,

"What are you watching?" she asked. Richard heaved a silent sigh of relief and reached forward to take a small handful of popcorn into his grasp, before he turned to look at her with a light smile,

"I was actually going to let you decide." he spoke, starting to put the wheels or repair into motion. Kori smiled at him appreciatively, and swallowed as she looked him over for a moment. It was than that she saw what he was doing...but she liked it. So she removed herself from the couch and made her way over to the large wall of DVD's that decorated the south wall of the room.

She began to browse them thoroughly, unsure of what to pick. They were organized by genre, and than further into alphabetical order per section. A very complicated choice, it seemed...and she was strongly worried about picking something that he wouldn't enjoy watching, or didn't like...in fact, the more she browsed, the more she worried about it. But she remembered that he was a big fan of action movies...so she directed her eyes to that section, and looked around...there were so many that she'd never even heard of...how could she pick something if she didn't even know what it was? She bit her lip and looked back and fourth, nervously.

Finally, she found something that rang a bell. 'The Island'...she could hear Richard's voice in her head, explaining to her that this had been his favorite movie for the past three years. 'Until something new comes long, this is the one' he had said...so she reached forward and slipped it off the shelf. She couldn't go wrong with something he said was his favorite, right? So she went over to the DVD player and put it in, setting the case on the floor beside it, and returning to her seat beside him...but sitting an inch or so closer than before, which he noticed and inwardly smiled. She just found the volume in her throat and looked over at him, nervously.

"I-I'm sorry about earlier..." she told him, feeling out of place as she spoke...as if she didn't have the right to apologize like that...as if her simple sentence was no where near enough to make up for the happening this afternoon. But Richard swallowed...he hadn't expected her to rush into the bluntness of an apology...that wasn't something he was used to. The word 'sorry' wasn't the most familiar one in his vernacular...but he swallowed, glanced down, than to her...sighed...and nodded.

"Yeah, me too, Kor." he said, which surprised her a little more than she expected it would. Her lips flickered a light touch of a forgiving smile, and she looked him over, feeling the tension slightly clear like smoke did when you opened a window and turned a fan on. Their eyes were locked for the next ten to fifteen seconds, before he finally felt comfortable enough to gesture her to the part of the couch directly beside him. She smiled a tad more, which he matched, as he held his arm out and watched her wriggle closer and lean into him, touching her head to his shoulder. His arm wrapped around her, and she suddenly felt a lot better. Richard opened his mouth to say something, but the menu of the movie popped onto the screen, and he thought it best to hold back.

"Ah, good choice." he told her in slight 'compliment-mode'. Kori silently sighed, admittedly wishing that there would've been a touch more closure to the moment than that, before the subject changed...but she knew he'd forgiven her, and was willing to be sweet to her...friendly..and act as if nothing happened. So she decided right than to let sleeping dogs lie until a better opportunity presented itself.

"Well, it's your favorite movie." she said, glancing up at him for a moment. He smiled warmly in surprise. He didn't even remember mentioning this movie to her, but the fact that she remembered, when it was never even really...talked about...it made him feel good. But of course...from the past almost month of knowing her, he came to the realization that she seemed to remember everything. He smirked at that thought and let in linger in his mind for a moment for amusement purposes...but there were more important things on his mind.

There were so many things dancing on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to say to her...but everything in him was saying that it was a bad time. Though he also knew that this was roughly the best possible time to get these things into the open...but the situation was so fragiley mended together...he didn't want to stretch it and end up shattering it beyond repair. A voice in the back of his mind interrupted by telling him that nothing with Kori could possibly be beyond repair...but he shook it off and closed the book on the decision that he would keep his mouth shut.

"That it is, indeed." he came up with, cursing himself for the lameness of his statement. Kori nodded slightly in response, but looked down and gently sighed...she was in the same exact rut that he was.

"My, what a way with words you have." she managed, as they came to the silent agreement that the best thing for the moment was to pay their attention to the movie and await a more appropriate time to come...and eventually, they both became lost with the picture that swept across the large screen.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...yes. A very very VERY frustrating chapter, yes? Lol... The point of it was more to kind of express just how quickly they're able to forgive each other, without hesitation, even after things like that. But anyway...

I **promise** the next one will be better. I thought about combining the two, but it seemed too bulky a chapter...so here ya go. Love you guys!

Please tell me what you thought.


	29. Chapter 29: The Mistake

Yayyy, a fast update!

I hope y'all like this chapter!

Read and review, pleaseeeee.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

As the rolling credits crept across the screen, Kori yawned cutely and sat up, and away from Richard. The two of them were surrounded by empty soda cans (two each) and there was a drained bowl that used to be filled with sweet and crunchy kettle corn right beside it. All the tension from an hour and a half prior was gone. They were back to teasing each other. They were back to being playful. They were back to enjoying each other's company. A smile danced across Kori's face, as she looked over at the handsome young man sitting beside her.

"Wow, that was a really good movie." she stated, looking to him in appreciation for putting the title of the film into her head to begin with. He looked her over with a grin, shining with pride for having ownership of the moment...for the moment, of course.

"Told ya so." he gloated with a smile that could kill. Kori rolled her jade colored eyes, and lightly plotted the rest of the night through...she _really_ didn't want it to end...but she was the kind of girl who was afraid of sounding assumptive. So she gazed over at him in consideration.

"So what now? I'm not really ready to go to bed yet...you?" she asked...but it may as well have been music to his ears. He almost couldn't imagine her saying anything better at that moment.

"Hell no...double feature?" he asked, raising a brow in that way that wanted to make her blush. She loved the way he seemed to read her mind. Looking him over, she thought for a moment...saying 'yes' would be too simple. So she flashed him crooked smile, looked down, and glanced slowly up at him.

"I bring the popcorn, you bring the drinks? I do believe it's your turn to pick what we watch." she flirted cutely. Richard was surprised in the ease of her voice. He wasn't used to her being the instigator, but it was something he could happily allow himself to get familiar with. So he smirked at her, and nodded,

"Alright...deal. I'll meet you back here in five." he said...and before she had the chance to answer, he ws already on his way out of the room.

SIX AND A HALF MINUTES LATER

The beautiful redhead began to eagerly make her way back into the living room with two full bowls (one of extra butter popcorn, one with kettle corn) in her grasp. Smiling expectantly, she looked at him and gestured to her bringings in a kind of 'how do you like them apples' manner. Richard smirked, but had to tease...he couldn't help himself. The look on her face was too cute. So he rose a brow and pointed to his watch with a very fake look of disappointment.

"You're late." he scolded. Kori rolled her eyes, set the bowls down, and grabbed a pillow off of the couch, swinging it towards him and gently smacking him upside with it.

"After you." she told him, gesturing to the couch with a wide smile on her face. It took the playboy a moment to register what she'd just done, but he matched the grin she was wearing, looking her over, and taking a step closer,

"Okay, but I should warn you; I don't necessarily fight fair." he spoke with a smirk. Kori just smiled and gently hit him again with the pillow,

"That makes two of us." she said friskily. It took 1.3 seconds, due to his record breaking reflexes, for him to have grabbed a pillow of his own and swing at her. The two of them laughed for a short moment, but than a small fight war broke loose between the two. Pillows were flying to and fro, and lots of hair was getting messed up...not that either of them cared, or noticed. Unfortunately, Kori's pillow flew a little too quickly towards her roommate, and as it clipped his nose, he dropped his weapon and clutched it, releasing a loud groan. Kori gasped and froze in place,

"Richard! X'hal, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Psych!" he screamed, cutting her off and reaching forward, pulling her into his grasp, yanking her onto his lap, and beginning to tickle her as if there was no tomorrow. Kori folded her arms and frowned at him with a cocked brow,

"You should know, I'm not ticklish." she stated playfully. Richard just scoffed.

"Fine." he snapped gently, dropping his arms down, and folding them around her, acting as if he were disappointed with the whole matter. The redhead sitting on him paused for a moment, waiting to see what would happen...but nothing did. So finally, she looked over at him and smirked,

"Hey, Rich?" she asked.

"Mmm?" he replied with little effort. He was too busy pretending to pout. She rolled her eyes and shook her head,

"You're kinda still holding onto me." she spoke, stating the obvious. Secretly, he had been hoping she would really have said anything. But oh well...she did. And he was on the spot to reply. So he looked her over dully and rose a curious brow.

"Your point is?" he asked, as if he completely didn't care. Kori blushed and formed a slight smirk on her beautiful face.

"I never said I had one." she answered. Richard only grinned, triumphantly,

"Well, alright than." he told her, using his free arm to stretch over and grab the remote to the DVD player. He pointed it at the screen, hit play, and than tossed it to the other side of the couch. It was no longer of use to him. Laughing, the beautiful redhead focused her gaze on the large t.v., anxious to see what he'd chosen for them to watch. Sure she'd enjoy it, Richard was inwardly shining, and studying her as her eyes watched the scene playing out.

It was the introduction...a group of animal activists breaking into a military lab. They were hoping to rescue the chimpanzees that were being brainwashed with chaotic thoughts and images. So far, she found it fascinating. She watched a researcher walk in, bust them, and reach for the alarm. He didn't make it, though...one of the activists captured him, and now they were arguing the gravity and importance that the chimps couldn't be released. Of course...since when, in movies, do people listen to the voice of reason? They released them anyway, and the girl on the team became attacked...and the jist of the movie; she was mutating or changing. When she was shown, her eyes were red, she was twitching, and spitting blood. Kori jumped,

"Wow, those things are creepy." she exclaimed as a close up of the 'newly-infected' animal rights girl on the screen was just depicted in a close up. Richard couldn't help but chuckle in amusement as he made a mental note on how cute she was when she was startled. The sound that slipped through his lips was enough to make her attention switch over to him, and she looked at him with curious eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from the zombies." he spoke, grinning and looking her over. Kori laughed for a moment, but feeling his breath on her face made her realize just how close they were. She _was_ sitting on his lap, after all. But the acknowledgment of the proximity between the two made her cheeks (as well as a lot of the rest of her face) turn deep red. This was answered by the curving of his mouth, which drew her gaze down to it.

The sight of her eyes on his lips made him smirk, and he was quick to imitate her glance, looking down at hers. To Kori, all thoughts disappeared...she couldn't focus on anything...all she knew was that she felt drawn forward...everything in her body pulling her...driving her to inch further. Even though his heart was racing, Richard could think..it was clouded by the adrenaline that was pumping viciously through his veins. He couldn't take it...he couldn't be this close to her without...he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers.

A jolt simultaneously ran through the two of them, and neither of them hesitated before pressing harder into one another. Richard reached forward and cupped her face in his hand, pulling her a touch closer...as if she needed to be swayed. She kissed him harder and moaned lightly at the feeling of them being so intimately mashed. Now nothing was expected to elevate...neither of them had any intention to go further than this...but this moment was stretching out in front of them.

Kori ran her hand through his hair and gently held on to the back of his head, whilst he hooked onto her waist with his free arm, and locked her against him as if his life depended on it. Their lips felt as if they were on fire, and breathing was slowly climbing as a small pot of passion began brewing between them... But a few kisses, and one or two subtle tongue grazes later, Kori's eyes flew open as reality slapped her straight in the face, and she ripped herself away from him, slipping off his lap, and sliding away from him, looking at him with wide eyes.

"X'hal..." she breathed frantically, furrowing her brows and trying to catch hold of ground on what had just happened. Richard looked her over in slight confusion; he of course, took the sound she made as a good thing, if he didn't know any better.

"What?" he asked, leaning a bit closer to her and twitching a smile as he looked her in the eye. But suddenly her face filled with terror, instead of daze, and she began shaking her head violently, as she leaped off the couch and a couple steps back. This not only filled Richard with confusion, but made paranoia as well as worry rise up in him that nearly made him dizzy with its suddenness.

"No! I-I shouldn't be doing this! I...oh, X'hal! I'm sorry, I-...oh god!" she sobbed...and part of her wanted to come clean to Richard everything that was going on right than and there. But she wouldn't...he didn't understand what was going on with her...so to him, she was probably just freakishly overreacting to a kiss that was shared between a pair of roommates that happened to have chemistry. But everything inside of her told her that this was deathly forbidden if she had any idea of what was right for him... But she was right...Richard only saw that she was horrified with the situation. He studied her in desperate attempt to identity what was racing through her mind. He had to try to act as the voice of reason.

"Kori, wait a minute! It's okay, just calm down..."

"No, it's...I can't! I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. The tears were streaming down her face and he entire body was trembling. Richard didn't like the fear on her face...he took a step forward, trying to inch closer, but Kori was onto his plan. The instant he moved toward her, she stumbled back, as if it was her natural reflex. He shook his head and held his hand out, silently pleading for her to stop and hear him out.

"Kor, please just wait a sec-"

"I have got to go...I-I'm sorry..." she whimpered through the tears...and with that, she turned and was gone, without giving him the chance to stop her. Stunned, Richard fell back onto the couch and hung his head in his hands, and growling in frustration. He bit his lip, still absorbed in the tingles that danced along his mouth, left from her. Licking his lips, he swallowed, and shook his head...it was as if he'd just utterly failed.

"Damnit..."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Ooh, angsty.

I don't know...please just tell me what you thought. I'm really nervous about this one, guys...don't leave me hanging.


	30. Chapter 30: JT Adams

Updated quickly, yes. But I"m not so sure I pulled it off as well as I wanted to... Either way, I hope y'all enjoy it.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Since the kiss that passed between them, things hadn't been the same. Richard felt as if giving into his desires had pushed him into a deep, painful rut. Kori had barely even spoken to him since it would happen, and it had been almost a week. She would leave to walk to school before he even got the chance to talk to her (even if it meant she would get there half an hour early). She sat away from him in the classes they shared...took different hallways...everything she could. It was as if she was desperate to be away from him...and he couldn't understand it. Not...entirely, at least.

It wasn't just a kiss...it wasn't that simple. Not to him...and he knew, not to her. Since he tasted her lips on his, he couldn't get his mind off anything else. He couldn't feel anything but all over heat. His lips wouldn't stop burning in that amazing way. He felt lighter...newer...'reborn' if he were to be bold/cheesy enough. But the point was that kissing her was the most special thing he'd ever done. It changed everything to him...his view...his thoughts...his feelings. Now, even more than before, everything about his day was about her... And she wouldn't give him the time of day.

He didn't understand what was going on in her head...he knew she felt what he had...she knew he wasn't the only who did. There was no way. But she was acting like he'd done the worst thing in the world. She made it seem like he'd just...done the unspeakable, and that being near him would destroy the world. ...but what he didn't know, was that to her, it would... It was a circle that seemed to consume them...to an outside perspective, it was a simple overreaction. But to them, it was probably what mutually mattered more than anything at the moment.

You know how teen 'love' goes...not to say they were there just yet. When you're in the middle of it, nothing else seems more important. But to everyone looking on at the situation, it was blown out of proportion and overly dramatic. However...none of that mattered at the time, being...because other things were going on. Richard and Rachel were walking to lunch to meet up with Gar and hopefully (but doubtfully) Kori. His mind was down in the dumps, and the short, and very dark girl was getting tired of seeing him wallowing there in self-pity.

"Enough already, what's wrong?" she snapped, looking him over, almost angrily. The handsome playboy snapped out of his trance partially, as he heard her irritated tone.

"Huh?"he managed, trying to act as Bruce taught him...soak up his surroundings in an instant, so as though to prepare himself for anything. But, unfortunately, he was too lost in his own thoughts...daydreaming about Kori, most likely...but he would never admit it to Rachel, or all people. So he looked her over and waited for her to answer him...though, she seemed to be waiting for something from his as well...it was a race? Or a battle of holding out, perhaps...see who could wait longer to speak. But she quickly decided it wasn't worth the pause.

"Pretending I care about the asshole trying to sleep with my best friend...you seem almost depressed." she growled softly, making Richard's face flatten in annoyance. Well, he was slightly surprised she would've even noticed something bothering him in the first place...but he wasn't sure if the light shock or the offense seemed more powerful at the moment...but he shook it off. He didn't have the emotional energy to dwell...he didn't want to acknowledge anything but his redheaded roommate...

"Thanks, Rae... But I think I blew it with Kori." he muttered bitterly, as he thought back angrily to the rashness of his actions the night he kissed her. Maybe if he'd been slower and less forcefully passionate about things...maybe than, she wouldn't have taken it so hard. But it was too late...she seemed like she couldn't be further away from him. He was starting to panic. He was starting to give up hope...even if he wasn't going to give up on her. But seeing the trouble in his eyes, Rachel furrowed her brows, confused, and thought for a minute.

"Wha-oh...you mean with J.T?" she asked, managing the to guess something that sounded logical. Richard, on the other hand, didn't find much logic in her answer. His brows furrowed, and he looked her over in confusion, trying to wonder if there was cause for such a seemingly random theory.

"No, why?" he asked, awaiting an answer as impatiently as either of them could have thought possible. The look on his face almost made Rachel angry...but she was able to keep it under control, considering the nerve rising in her as she raised her hand and pointed across the courtyard. Gulping, he followed her arm with his gaze, and turned in dread, as he saw his beautiful redheaded friend talking to the very tall, built, handsome, and otherwise perfect J.T. Adams. His heart slightly sank, and he grit his teeth, and swallowed, shaking his head.

"Sorry, Dick." Rachel cut in, knowing that he was feeling conflict inside that was sure to erupt into something terrible, once he lets it seep in. He, on the other hand, felt suddenly disabled.

"…great…"

...With Kori and JT...

"Your eyes are very unique. They make you stand out." the gorgeous 18-year-old 6'4" man told her with a charming (and perfectly white) grin. Kori furrowed her brows, immediately feeling out of place as she looked him over...though he stood a good three inches taller than Richard, so she had to tilt her head to see him clearly.

"Th-thank you." she managed, unsure what to say, and throwing a nervous smile into the mix. His brow rose sharply, and a smirk crawled across his face.

"Ah, and you've got a beautiful smile." he spoke with all the charm he could muster. Yeah, he was gorgeous...possibly better looking than Richard. But of course...not only was Kori deeper than the two inch puddle of emotions...but she could see through more than just flattery and pick-up lines. So her face flattened, and she smirked plainly at him.

"Thanks." she mumbled, making sure she wasn't rude, but also firmly making sure she wasn't leading him onto anything. J.T grinned and held his hand out to her.

"J.T. Adams, senior quarterback." he told her proudly, almost gloating in introduction as he offered an intro that would make most girls swoon. He just wasn't expecting her to be so..._different_ about this. But she was polite, nonetheless. She looked up at him with a sweet smile and took his hand in her small, but surprising (to him) grip.

"Kori Anderson." she said simply. She looked up at him and allowed herself to make a mental note that he really _was_ something to look at. But she shook her head...that kind of physical 'perfection' -if you go by society's standards- was somehow...off-putting to her. He didn't seem to think so in her case. I mean, she wasn't the common standard of 'hot' or 'beautiful' she was unique...she...she was indescribably special...in such a gorgeous way. He hadn't seen anyone who looked like her. And he couldn't stop staring... Though, thankfully, his practiced nature with girls kept him smooth and charming.

"That's a nice name. Tell me; does the idea of catching a movie with me sound that nice?" he asked with a grin. Kori swallowed and shuffled uncomfortably,

"Oh...well, I uh-"

"Excuse me." came a voice that made Kori's subconscious flutter in hope, as she looked for the source of such a sound. Richard appeared almost immediately, but before she got the chance to speak, he pushed past J.T., and turned to the beautiful redhead. He didn't hesitate this time...there was nothing on his mind about the consequences. Nothing about who saw. Nothing about what could go wrong. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and crushed his lips against hers with all his might.

For a moment, she wanted to resist, considering the voice in the back of her mind telling her that this was a terrible idea in the long run...but the second instant she allowed herself, she melted into him and kissed back, feeling the rest of the world grow blank around her. J.T. Walked off angrily, cursing something about 'money working against him' under his breath on his way out. Kori smirked as she noticed him leave, and wrapped her arms around Richard's neck. Rachel and Gar watched from afar. The short blonde boy's jaw was on the ground, but Rachel was smirking in amusement, as she watched the counselor shuffle across the courtyard to break the two young teens up. She shook her head,

"Yeah...he blew it, alright..."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Alrighty, so what did y'all think? A little rushed, maybe, but I need to know how it went over with my 'audience' ?

Love you guys!

Please review.


	31. Chapter 31: Dating The New Girl

Alighty...so...yes. An update. Hope y'all like it. Though fewer and fewer people are reviewing...it's kind of worrying me. Am I losing y'all with the story? I don't know...come on guys, tell me what's going on.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Beautiful Kori was bundled up in her blue nightgown and purple bedding, listening to her iPod and finishing up with her Calculus homework...completely content. Her mind had a few different things on it...but for the first time since she'd been here, there was nothing wrong with her day. She couldn't have felt more comfortable that moment. She was buried in her fuzzy blanket with her favorite song playing...and of course the was the added bonus of-a knock on the door cut her off from her thoughts. She glanced up to see who it was, and as she saw his handsome face watching her intently, a sweet smile brushed her face. Pulling her headphones out of her ears, she shifted herself and sat up a little to look at him from a better angle.

He had been watching her for quite some time in a soft trance, making mental notes on the fact that she was beautiful, or that everything she did seemed elegant in one way or another...even if it included those adorable expressions she made when she was thinking about something. Of course...he already knew that he could spend forever looking at her...but there was a theory in the air about how long he could see her without feeling the need to touch her too. And he quickly gave in.

Gently, but surely, he walked up to her bed and knelt onto it. Looking her over gently, he grinned and inched toward her. She watched his every move, thoroughly, as he leaned into her and lowered his body down, onto hers. She relaxed as he rested about half of his weight onto her and looked up at him expectantly, watching his every move as he pressed into her and touched his lips to hers. She didn't hesitate to return the kiss, smiling from underneath him, and tilting her head back as to get a stronger angle. Richard smirked and pulled slightly away, pressing his forehead to hers as he looked her over,

"What are you doing in an hour?" he asked with a tone that made her smile widely...she was beginning to love the way his mind worked. Something about him always having something worked out... She looked him over and leaned forward, lightly kissing him, pulling away, and looking at him,

"I was actually going to bed." she admitted, hoping he wouldn't be too disappointed with her answer. And he was a little let down...he wasn't going to deny. He had hoped to squeeze in an extra hour or two with her before they turned in for the night. But he knew she had something about sleeping...something that kept her from getting the amount that would be best for her. He wasn't going to pry...that was her business. But he wasn't going to even consider trying to dispute her decision. Instead he grinned at her, still glowing inwardly from earlier

"Oh...well that makes sense. It has been a..._long_ day." he told her with a charming look in his eyes, as he sat slightly up so that he wasn't crushing her. She didn't really like the way he pulled away...but his statement pulled her into a different realm of thought and she was quickly pink in the face with a touch of a beautiful smile.

"That's one way of putting it." she told him cutely, awaiting the grin that painted his expression, before she continued. "What plans of yours am I interrupting?" she asked, cocking her head slightly to the side the was she did when curiosity was bubbling in her thoughts. Richard loved the way she looked when she did that, and smirked, giving a look of fake thought, but really just waiting a moment to reply so that he didn't appear overly eager to speak.

"No plans...just wanted to offer ice cream and a movie." his warm, and slightly rough (yet, of course, soothing) voice filled her ears with its sweet consideration. She loved the way he was always so creative, yet so cliché the way he did things.

"As sweet as that sounds-no pun intended-would you be able to forgive me if I requested a rain check?" she asked him, so cutely that he couldn't resist the light chuckle, leaning down and kissing her forehead. She blushed gently and looked up at him with a strong urge to hug him tightly, as she awaited a response. He grinned.

"I think I can find it in my heart to do so." his reply earned a very happy smile from her,

"Tomorrow night, than?" Kori's inquiry made his face light up. He loved the way she did things. She thoroughly intended to make these things up to him...even if _he_ didn't expect it. But the gears in his head were turning...he was far from ready for bed.

"Sounds good to me...but what about tonight?" he asked, already starting to think of maybe grabbing his computer and curling up with her, watching a movie, and leaving when she fell asleep. Though considering he'd _just_ gotten her to allow herself to get close to him...he was worried about pushing that. So he'd leave it open and wait for her to send him the signals of whether or not it was a good idea to offer. She furrowed her brows, curiously,

"What do you mean?" she asked...in her mind, the answer she gave to his first question surely meant that he would leave and she would sleep...not to sound rude. She didn't mean she didn't want his company. She just hadn't expected him to have something else already cooking in that brain of his. But Richard grinned at her proudly,

"Well, as boyfriend in action, I'm obligated to make it up to you for plans falling through." he spoke jokingly, but his reply made her stop and look him over, gulping visibly,

"...boyfriend, huh?" she asked. It was than that his disposition turned serious, and he inhaled sharply, leaning back a couple of inches, so to give them a chance to fully see each other.

"Well...isn't that what we are?" he asked hopefully. The air was growing thick, so Kori shifted uncomfortably, looking him over, before slightly twitching a smile and raising a brow,

"We're boyfriends?" she asked in a partial joking tone. Richard's face flattened,

"You know what I mean." he told her dully, looking her over and lightly swallowing, giving her a look that told her that he wanted her to be serious with him. She nodded as if he had somehow told her exactly that he was thinking...somehow she understood. She glanced down lightly, but looked back up to him,

"Had to acknowledge the humor..." she spoke, merely to excuse her previous comment. He, on the other hand, cocked a brow, awaiting her real answer...and she could tell that that's what he was expecting. She swallowed, "I'm sorry...I just...I guess I'm worried I'll say the wrong thing." Kori looked away as she spoke her mind...and Richard understood. He swallowed and tried to think of the right thing to say...something that would make things easy on her.

"Well...do you want to be mine, Kori?" he decided upon being blunt. Not excruciatingly so...just enough to give her something direct to answer. She knew what he was doing, though. And yes, she appreciated it. She just...had assumed they were going to take this part slow, and play it by ear. She didn't at all expect that she would have had to make this decision tonight...the same day things started to happen. So she swallowed and thought for a moment before looking at him nervously,

"...am I considering all the variables of our situation, or-"

"No. Just what you feel. Right now." she swallows "Do you want to be mine?" he asked, cutting her off before she had a chance to bring up the argument that she would be leaving in the future. He was hoping she would go on nothing but spontaneity and instinct. But he wasn't sure that was the best thing to expect with her...she tended to think thoroughly about everything. Which wasn't a bad trait...but given their current situation...he knew it wasn't necessarily the best idea for them to get together. But he also knew that they could cross that bridge when they came to it. He had money...and in this world, that made a lot of things possible. So...there was a pretty good chance that this could end up working. ...but he was getting ahead of himself. First he had to get an answer from her. That was the first step.

"I..." she managed, swallowing hard, and looking away. She tried to block out logic as she was thinking about this...instead, she was going more on what she _felt_. So she tried to weigh out which felt stronger...if it was her fear that absorbed her through most of her days...or if it was the way she felt towards him. The way she was drawn to him...the way he made her feel...the way they connected. She wanted to do what he expected...make this decision based on nothing but her feelings. Because what she _knew_ was that this was quite possibly the worst idea for her situation.

Richard's heart was pounding harder and harder with each second that passed...he didn't want to wait any longer. He just wanted to ask again to stop the agony of his anticipation...but he knew that if he were to pressure her, than she'd only feel worse...and likely resist even harder. So he just watched her, trying to hold his breath. And she felt his eyes on her...for a moment she tried not to look at him, and tried to block out thought so that she could _feel_ what was the better option...but she couldn't resist. His eyes unknowingly pulled hers up to meet his...and right than, every other option vanished into the blue of his eyes...

"I very much do." she spoke, taking him back slightly. Because, assuming she said yes, he had expected her usual hesitant/negative...and slightly reluctant way of giving in or accepting something. But this...was different. This was her sounding **sure**. And he couldn't have grinned wider as he looked her beautiful face over happily,

"Than I guess you've got yourself an American boyfriend." his cocky answer gave her a smile that made her seem to glow. He was about to lean down and kiss her, but she beat him to the punch, lifting herself up and touching her lips to his. He grinned from under her kiss and pressed down harder, making her match his smile and melt. They were like that for a moment, before she pulled an inch or so away, looked him over, and bit the irony with a smirk,

"And I guess you're dating the new girl."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Alrighty...cute? Maybe? Short, I know...but what did y'all think? Did I do alright, or was it...blah?

(And on a separate note: ...yeah, yeah...Supercandy, I know I told you I wouldn't update until you did. But I finished my chapter and haven't had much time lately, so I figured I'd put it up, anyway.

BUT: Those of you who are looking for a new story to read, username 'SuperCandy700' has a story out, called 'Love Over Friendship' ...I'll admit, I was a tad skeptical at first, but once I passed the first couple of chapters, I've gotten pretty hooked on it. So whomever has some extra time on their hands, make your way over there. It's RobStar, of course:) )

But please tell me what you guys thought!


	32. Chapter 32: An Obstacle Course

Okay, guys...warning you now...the 'warm and fuzzy' rein on this story is temporarily out of the picture. I love y'all though! And I still hope that you guys enjoy this chapter.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Richard was sitting up in his bed, daydreaming about his beautiful new girlfriend...even though he'd only just left her room less than half an hour ago. He waited until she fell asleep before he slipped out of her bed and into his own. It was kind of amazing to him...the way she was different to him than any other girl. A month ago, he couldn't have dreamed of laying with a girl until she fell asleep, and than just...leaving. But he actually enjoyed it...and had an urge to stay and watch her sleep for a little while, as a matter of fact...though he told her he would leave when she slept...and he intended to make good on his word.

A smirk pulled at his lips...oh, how Vic would tease the hell out of him if he found out that he was already this loyal to Kori. Not because it was funny for the playboy of Gotham to stick to one girl for once...but because of all the hell that Dick gave him for his girlfriend, Karen. Yeeeeah, he'd never hear the end of that one. But he couldn't wait to share the news with Gar and Rachel...who he still couldn't believe he was friends with...but that was another subject. Right now, he found visualizing Kori sleeping to be a more important task for his mind to set itself to. ...but a knock on his door made that disappear.

_'What is she still doing up?"_ he asked himself, as he sat up, straighter and looked to the opening...until he saw the exact opposite of his beautiful roommate. ...his irritated-looking adopted father stood there with a flat look on his face, making Richard's brow furrow, and confusion erupt to the front of his thought process.

"What are you still doing up?" he asked, glancing at the clock to see that it was almost two in the morning... Bruce almost always had to be up by four to take care of business transactions, due to time zone differences. The fact that his stern mentor was standing by his bedroom door at this hour was something he intended to take with a grain of salt...very warily. Bruce's face didn't change much...but the young sidekick knew him well. He could see the gears in his head turning,

"Waiting for Korina to fall asleep." he answer plainly. Dick's eyes narrowed and he already began raising his guard.

"Why?" he asked...he could already see this was going to be bad.

"We need to talk." Bruce's monotone voice was crisp with seriousness...so Dick decided the best way to approach this was to appear clueless, if not a little immature. So his icy blue eyes adopted a look of arrogance, as he rolled them-just to get under his father's skin.

"No need, Bats. I've taken health. I know where babies come from." he quipped, looking slightly away so that he didn't have to see the anger on Bruce's face as it appeared. He knew his comment was making him aware that he was in the mood to press his buttons.

"You know damn well that's not what I meant." the broad man snapped, looking down at his son and giving him the 'don't-test-me' look. But the playboy didn't want to hear any of Bruce's usual threats. Kori made him feel fearless. Invincible. And completely oblivious to the usual lectures he's normally subjected to.

"What do you want me to tell you? These things just happen." he stated, simply. He had absolutely no intention of letting anyone get in the way of the two of them. Especially when he worked so hard to get them there in the first place. But Bruce _wasn't_ amused.

"Make them un-happen." he almost snarled. But Richard looked up with a smirk and the light twitch of his brow.

"Not a chance." he spoke through pride and control. The tall billionaire stepped further into the room and closed the door behind him, so as to block out whatever sound he could from escaping to people who shouldn't hear it. ...one person, in particular. Dick waited impatiently for the next generic threat or scold that would come his way.

"Don't you understand the delicacy of this?" Bruce snapped. But it didn't even register...all the young man knew was that he felt free with Kori...normal...happy. And that was enough to keep him from seeing anything else.

"I don't wear a mask while I'm with her, Bruce." he reasoned, feeling slightly...soothed, once he said that to the tall man. But Bruce shook his head...already clearly informed that he was dealing with the 'ignorant teenager' version of his son tonight.

"She has no idea the danger you're putting her in!" his dark words weren't helping to make him see the light. Instead, Richard challenged it.

"Yeah? And what, you're gonna tell her?" he began, already knowing the answer, "I'll protect her...if anything happens." he finished his statement with the answer that he imagined solved everything. He would protect her. It was as simple as that. But he seemed to anger Bruce, more than anything.

"You know I said the same things about Diana!" he shouted at the teenage hero. Richard felt put on the spot suddenly. Come on, he knew how to take care of his duel identities. No one knew, or even suspected. He was tired of being treated like a kid.

"Yeah, well I'm not that stupid." he snapped, angrily...before he realized what he said. He paused and swallowed, thinking on whether or not he should apologize, or play it off.

"I thought the same thing, Dick. But obviously, I was wrong. Her funeral did a good job of drilling that into my head." Bruce looked at him with a slight glare. It wasn't a glare out of anger, for him having said the wrong thing. It was more a 'I really can't believe you're being this stupid' one...and it did a decent job at drilling its point into Dick's thick skull.

"Well, Kori is a normal-human citizen. And so am I when I'm with her." he spoke, making Bruce shake his head. He was about to speak, but Richard was quick to cut him off, before he got the chance to make more argument.

"But-"

"Which possibly makes it more convenience, because that way; if any normal trouble were to get to her, I would have no difficulty getting her safely past it." he spoke, trying to make him see that he would make sure nothing ever happened to her. But his words were boiling frustration into his tall father-figure, who shook his head and touched his thumb and pointer finger to his forehead.

"You can't be this naïve, Dick." he managed, making Richard's eyes narrow.

"It's not being naïve, it's being realistic. She doesn't know about who I am. Nobody does! They're completely separate lives!" he shouted, before remembering that Kori was asleep a floor above him, and that there was a chance the sound of his voice could carry. But Bruce couldn't see how he couldn't see the truth in this... It was such a delicate line between the two lives that they shared.

"Unless someone finds out something they shouldn't. Than **both** lives get destroyed!" he growled, hoping his son would acknowledge the reality that was circling around them. But this time, it was Dick's ego that ignored Bruce's logic.

"No one's found out the eight years I've been doing this, they're not going to now." he spoke with slight pride about the whole thing. Even when he was young, he managed to keep his double life a secret from everybody. He did a damn good job at it too, if he were to be bold enough to say. And...of course, being Richard Grayson, he was more than bold enough to do so. If anything, it fueled him. But Bruce wasn't amused. He shook his head,

"Falling in love turns a straight road into an obstacle course." his blunt voice stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. And...maybe it was, if anyone dared pay attention. But Dick shook his head,

"I can take care of myself, Bruce. I can take care of _both_ of us." he spoke, making his mentor step back with wide eyes,

"You don't deny falling in love with her." ...it was than that Richard caught himself.

"I didn't say that." he muttered, looking at his father-figure, bitterly. But the broad man just looked down at Dick with a glare that could scare the spots off a leopard.

"You didn't have to." He hissed. Richard hesitated...he hadn't said he was in love with Kori. Bruce had no reason to assume that. He hadn't even hinted to it...he just...he felt like a deer in headlights. He couldn't think of an intelligent response...instead he swallowed and tried to play it off, looking angrily to the broad man,

"Just stay out of this part of my life!" he shouted, angrily. He had always hated how he was usually treated like he was this young, immature, and generally helpless. But Bruce wasn't going to budge here. He looked his son over with heavy eyes,

"Only if you stay out of that part of hers." Richard shook his head.

"**Never**." his mentor slammed his fist into the wall,

"You're putting her life at risk, because of your selfish ego!" the newly ex-playboy shook his head and tried to play it safe. If he held back and made sure he didn't say much, than there wasn't anything Bruce could pull from his words and assume he had fresh evidence to use against him.

"What I do is none of your business. But she's perfectly safe with me." he wanted to sound reassuring...because he would _never_ let anything happen to Kori...and Bruce deserved to know that. He was, however...rather unconvinced.

"I'm not going to allow her well-being become the grounds for my next 'I-told-you-so'. End it." he growled. But Richard was right there, in his face, beaming every ounce of seriousness that he could manage.

"Never." Bruce growled,

"You're not going to put her in harm's way." he tried again. But the handsome young man shook his head.

"I won't, Bruce. But there's nothing you can do about it." Dick's hiss almost made Bruce flinch...because, he knew he was hearing the truth. There was nothing he could do to keep him away from her... He couldn't tell Kori to keep her distance without telling her why...and he couldn't do that. Not to Richard...and certainly not to Kori... So he was stuck in this argument...all he could do was hope it didn't become known. He had to hold a good bluff.

"Try me." Bruce snarled. Dick's eyes just narrowed...he was determined to call it, if it was the last thing he did.

"Oh, I will."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Whooooo, a little angst...a little drama...a lot of tension. Lol...hope I didn't disappoint too terribly. I love y'all! Please tell me what you thought, and I promise I'll update soon.


	33. Chapter 33: Consequences

Okay, yes. It took a while to get up here...and this isn't the most WOW chapter in the world...but here it is, and I hope y'all enjoy.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

It was anger that was fueling Richard Grayson as he stepped into the heroic outfit that changed him from a normal (gorgeous, famous, and ungodly wealthy) person...to one of Gotham's famous protectors. His jaw clenched every so often, and he mumbled things under his breath as he let the thoughts of his previous fight with Bruce echo in his head. Who did he think he was? The young hero couldn't get over it... He wasn't a kid. So why was it that he was treated as one? In his mind, he'd already more than proved his worth as a responsible adult. He'd successfully lead a double life since he was a child. He had gotten..._decent_ grades, while doing so. And he'd never gotten into terrible legal trouble. He wasn't a kid. Period. So what was Bruce's problem?

If he had taken the risk of having a relationship, when he was in a similar boat, than he had no right to give Dick hell for it. Plus...Kori wasn't a superhero in disguise. She was a normal girl...well...I don't know about normal. No one could deny that she was special. But she only had one identity. She wasn't put in the danger that Diana had been on a daily basis...her life was simple. Normal. ...Bruce couldn't relate to that. And so what if he could? This was his decision...no one else's. ...but a knock on the door tore him from his thoughts. He released a frustrated growl and slid his sleeves the rest of the way up his arms.

"You're not changing my mind, Bruce." he hissed as he began making his way towards the door, almost fully dressed in his heroic attire.

"I-It's Kori. Are you busy?" came the hesitant, yes angelic voice of the girl he'd thought had been sound asleep. Richard's mind finned with stunned surprise...Kori? He began to frantically look around his room for his winter robe to throw on to hide his uniform. He spotted it on his bathroom door and started to spring toward it, before tripping and falling on his face. He mumbled some 'fill-in-the-blank' curse word, and looked toward the door,

"I'm never busy for you. But, er...one second." he called, making Kori furrow her brows behind the door in confusion. She waited for him to answer the door, making a mental note of how something must be going on, considering the way he's contradicting himself, but remaining silent, until the door swung open to reveal her handsome boyfriend, slightly out of breath, in a thick gray robe, tied tight, with the collar up, and the sleeves pulled down as low as they would go.

"Hey, Kori...is everything okay?" he panted. She looked him over and rose a brow,

"Y-Yeah...I just couldn't sleep. Nice pants." she teased, as she saw his tight black, textured leggings. She intended to give him the opportunity to tell her if something was up, or not. Richard's face flushed lightly in embarrassment...well here was his first slip up. Let's see how many more he'd make.

"I was gonna go running." he covered, looking at her and flashing a hesitant smirk. She just nodded cautiously,

"Would you like company, or is this your time to think?" She asked. Richard flinched lightly...he suddenly felt thoroughly put on the spot, and unsure of the situation. If he really were going running, he'd leap for the chance to have her go with him...and he feared she knew that. But she _did_ leave the end of the question with the right moment to excuse himself. He gulped and thought for a second...

"It's kinda..." he began, swallowing again and looking at her beautiful face. He was already **dreading** the lie that he was going to have to tell her... And looking into her eyes he felt his knees ready to give out... It felt as if she were looking straight through him... "No...it's...Kori, there's something I really feel I should tell you." he managed through a heavy sigh. Her heart skipped a beat and a lump formed in her throat that she tried to gulp down.

"What is it?" she squeaked, allowing the possibilities of his future words to play through her head, and growing nervous...she didn't like when people said 'I've got something to tell you'...it very rarely meant something good. She continued watching him with wary eyes, seeing the consideration playing obviously in his head.

"I really don't want you to freak out...maybe you should sit down." he suggested, waiting for her to nervously nod, before he began reaching for the ties of his robe. His heart started pounding as he grasped the only thing concealing his double life, before the face of his father appeared at the doorway, making him freeze in his tracks, and look up like a deer in headlights.

"I'm sure it can wait. Korina, do you mid if I speak to Dick or a moment?" Bruce asked, turning to the beautiful redhead with a light smile. Kori swallowed and looked nervously between the two...she knew whatever Bruce wanted to talk to him about wasn't good...and could quite possibly be about her...but she really didn't want to conflict with what he was asking of her. So she nodded slowly,

"Y-Yes sir." she mumbled, giving her boyfriend a hesitant smile, "I'll just talk to you in the morning, Richard. Have a good run." she told him, before exiting as Bruce has requested. Once she was gone, the broad man closed the door and turned to Dick with a glare,

"What the hell are you thinking?" the angry billionaire's voice boomed as he looked his son over in heated disappointment. Richard immediately began putting his wall up. This was his business, he was determined to keep that mindset going strong, and ignore whatever 'reason' that would be attempted to be hammered into his head.

"None of your business, Bruce." he snapped, looking away and untying his robe, trying to ignore everything else.

"Like hell it isn't. Dick, I'm warning you now, don't you dare tell her." well...now, he captured the young playboy's attention, and received a cold shoulder, and a slightly attempted glare,

"It's my decision. Not yours." he growled. Bruce shook his head,

"It'll have consequences." he warned, but Dick's ego was bubbling inside of him. At the moment, he was

"Don't threaten me, Bruce. Like what?" Richard's angry hiss was accompanied by a glare that could make anyone cringe. He wasn't letting his father intimidate him. This was his decision. But Bruce looked him dead in the eye with a look that made the term 'if looks could kill' very scary.

"Like me sending her home." these words stopped the playboy in his tracks.

"You're bluffing." he said, watching his mentor with wary eyes, and waiting for him to say something that would let him onto whether or not he could pull off pushing his buttons or not. But the tall, broad man rose a brow,

"Oh, no I'm not. But do you really want to risk it?" he asked, knowing the answer before he asked. ...for once, he wasn't bluffing. Something as precarious as this...he wouldn't send Kori back home...but he would certainly make other arrangements. And Richard trusted enough that his actions would have consequences...he wasn't willing to risk Kori leaving. So he beat his pride down with a mental bat and sent a glare as strong as he could manage towards the doorway,

"Get out of my room so I can finish changing for patrol."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it took me a while to update. I apologize.

And I know this chapter didn't have too much to it...but it's got to do with the character actions/relations in the future. So I'm sure I'll get some negative reviews, but for how, here ya go. And I love you guys.

Please tell me what you thought.


	34. Chapter 34: A Chat With X

Yes, it took a little while to get up. But in my defense, our internet was out for about a week. Either way, I hope you guys like this chap...kinda uneventful, but definitely a bit...interesting, I'd like to call it.

So please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

It was the start of a new week and the new couple was making their way through the halls of the crowded high school. Kori's worried eyes studied the man holding her hand, in conflict... The entire weekend, Richard had been obviously bothered. No doubt that a lot of it came from the stress that'd been brewing between the people of the large house. She had been biting her tongue for the duration of the weekend...she didn't want to stick her nose into business that didn't belong to her. But she also didn't like seeing her boyfriend in this mood all the time... So today was the day she decided she was going to say something. She gave his hand a light squeeze, which got him to look at her. And when he did, she furrowed her brows,

"Is there anything I can to do to make anything better?" she asked him, sweetly, making it obvious that she was onto his troubles. The handsome playboy looked his beautiful girlfriend over and couldn't help but offer a slight smile as he acknowledged how sweet she was trying to be.

"I'm fine, babe...sorry. Bruce and I have been fighting." he spoke, plainly, not really giving into too much more than just that. The obvious. That's as far as he needed to go. She got his drift and nodded,

"Yeah, I know. I've heard...is everything okay?" she was trying not to pry. And as grateful as Richard was, he was more focused on keeping the details from her. Bruce's methods had worked wonders...he now didn't want to her knowing anything...he wouldn't risk it. He had a wall up, and he was determined to keep her here.

"It's fine. The usual. I'm not fully reaching his expectations in the business." he told her, giving a fake 'whatcha gonna do?' smirk. Kori nodded, knowing that he wasn't telling her the truth...and also knowing that whatever it was, likely had something to do with her. But she nodded anyway,

"It's alright...things will be better. I'm here to help if I can..." she was already hating seeing him like this...but he was almost touched. A grin spread across his face and he leaned down as they walked a kissed her gently,

"I know you will. But it's fine. It's just Bruce and me. We were overdue for some kind of fight." he told her sarcastically. She laughed and stared at him for a minute with an amused smirk..._until_ a regrettably familiar face appeared between them.

"Hey gorgeous." Xavier's voice interrupted them and did a very nice job of taking away the comfort that was starting to rise between them. Disgust filled Kori's gaze, and she rolled her eyes, turning to Dick with a sigh,

"Should I take care of him, or would you like the honors?" she asked him, trying to hint to their unwanted friend that he wasn't really welcome in this morning's routine. He, of course, ignored any indication of his unwantedness. Instead, he gave a look that said 'I know something you don't know' and rose a brow at his handsome competition for the gorgeous redhead.

"You look tired, Grayson. _Long_ night?" he asked with a smirk that made Richard's skin crawl. Narrowing his eyes, he tried figuring out what he was implying. He wasn't sure if it was the paranoia that came with having something to hide, or If there was really something behind his comment...but as Kori's arms wrapped around his waist, and her hot lips grazed the soft skin of his neck, he relaxed-and in a different way, tensed-a bit.

"Mmm, what's the matter, X-ie? _Jealous_?" she asked, making it obvious as to what she was implying. The wicked-natured teenager rose a brow and tried to hide any feeling he could manage, opening his mouth to speak, although Richard had no intention of giving him that chance.

"Good. Now that that's settled; mind if we go to class now?" confidence was rippling through the playboy's voice as he took his girlfriend's hand tightly and began walking with her towards their next class..._until_ Xavier cut them off.

"As a matter of fact, I do mind. Thank you for asking." he spoke, not letting them leave without a fight just yet.

"What do you want?" Kori snapped, squeezing Richard's hand as the irritation rose in her voice. Everything about X made her wary and anxious...including the way he was portraying that crooked grin.

"Care to excuse us for a moment, Grayson?" he asked. Dick glared at his 'enemy'.

"I'm not going anywhere." he said, taking a slight stance in front of her, solidifying that he was staying right by her side. Thinking of an insult, X came to the conclusion that it was best to ignore him and focus more on the girl he was trying to 'whoo'.

"Well, Cutie, I'm having a party this weekend at my place. It's already rumored to be in the top five of the year...I could use someone like you to spice things up." he told her, raising one of his brows in sharp pride, and flashing her a grin worse than the intentions he'd just thrown in her direction. Richard's eyes narrowed angrily, but Kori's naivity got the better of her than moment, making her stop and think, warily.

"What do you mean, 'spice things up'?" she asked, but Dick shook his head. He was in protective boyfriend mode.

"She's my **girlfriend**, X. Stay away from her." he growled...and if looks could kill, half of Xavier's face would've been dissolved in hatred by now. Of course, a look is just a look, so instead of melting into a bloody stump, his face formed an amused grin.

"I think she's old enough to decide for herself." he said, gesturing to the beautiful girl with a raised brow. Kori was slightly lost by the conversation playing out in front of her, and lightly furrowed her brows, as she looked the two handsome boys over. But she decided to play along with what she _did_ grasp onto.

"That's right. I am. Have a nice day." she told him sarcastically, as she reached out for Richard's hand with a sweet smile. They began walking away, but her boyfriend turned back and flashed a painfully proud grin in the direction of his enemy. X didn't seem to let it affect him, though. Instead he looked clear past him and smirked at the slender girl,

"Party's on Friday, Cutie. See you than." he called after them, before he turned around and began walking in the opposite direction, not giving Richard the chance to send him a dirty look. But it didn't matter...the more pressing matter was the cluster of thoughts that wrapped around Kori's head. She waited until they turned the corner and were fully clear of the teenage jerk, before she looked over at her boyfriend with curious eyes,

"So...what was he implying back there?" she asked him, out of pure innocence. The ex-playboy's jaw clenched, and he looked away from her for a moment, trying not to think of her in the inferences that their peer had been hinting toward. He didn't like the idea of anyone else even thinking of her in that way. But he wasn't going to completely ignore her question.

"Nothing good, Kor...he wanted it vague for a reason...but it's not something you should worry about." he muttered, filling her with disappointment...

"But...I want to know what it means." she told him innocently, making his teeth grit so loudly, he almost wondered if he heard. He was in a rut, that moment...he didn't want to deny her the answers that he was looking to him to give...but he knew that this wasn't going to sit well in the back of her mind. But he sighed, putting faith in the hope that she'd handle it and not take it to heart.

"Sex, most likely." he managed, making her turn red and look away in surprise. Suddenly she felt angry at X, and as her fists clenched, Richard's mood brightened a tad with pride in his beautiful girlfriend.

"Pig." Kori hissed under her breath. Her boyfriend felt comforted by her remark, but left it alone, smirking at her and gesturing down the long hallway they stood at,

"We have five minutes. Let's go." he told her. She nodded cutely, and followed his lead as the couple began walking toward the class they happened to share. The redhead, however, was letting her mind wander.

"Richard...this party..." she began, curiously. He turned bitter, but tried to act neutral as he looked over at her,

"What about it?" he asked, trying not to let her see how much the idea of her considering it bothered him. But seeing the smile that crossed over her smile brought a layer of relief to his disposition...though not quite as much as what she said next.

"We should crash it." she told him...only she didn't seem like she was in the destructive or troublesome mindset. Instead, she actually sounded perfectly innocent...making Richard **grin** proudly, at her.

"That's my girl."

XOXOXOXOXOX

So it took quite a while to update, but it preleuds, yes?

Please tell me what you thought.


	35. Chapter 35: The Party Preleud

So I know this one took a while to get up here...but I hope y'all like it. I know it's different and that it's giving the story an odd mood/touch...but hey, it's good to explore, right? Lol...I had to split it, because I've had NO motivation to do this part lately...so I'm just gonna post what I have now so y'all aren't still stuck with NOTHING to go on.

Either way, please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

It was the night of the party, and Richard was waiting eagerly outside his girlfriend's bedroom door. Kori wasn't usually the kind of girl who worried to any extent how an outfit looked on her...but this was her first American party...with her first American boyfriend. She wanted to look good for it. Not so much for her sake, as much as giving him someone worth showing off. And she was determined to do just that. Although...as patient as he was with her...the newly retired playboy stood at the door, tapping his foot, and glancing warily at his watch.

"Come on babe, I'm sure you look great." he said through an ironic smile...he couldn't imagine her possibly not looking good...but he assumed she was just pulling a girl moment, and was willing to let her work her way through it. But the door was closing for being 'fashionably late'...and now they were running almost an hour behind. And even though she knew this, Kori couldn't wrangle up the courage she needed to step out of her temporary sanctuary for the life of her.

"No thank you, please...I think I'll just stay here until I find something else to wear." she muttered, feeling bad as she took up even more time, knowing she wasn't ready. Richard, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes with an amused smirk.

"Come on, Kor...come out here. I wanna see." he urged, pulling a large sigh from Kori's lips. He grinned at the sound and listened to her shuffling around, waiting eagerly for her to give in to his request and reveal her attire.

Slowly but surely, the door swung open, and Richard's jaw nearly hit the ground as he looked her up and down. She was clad in a crooked cut lilac mini skirt, flaunting her long golden legs with gentle flair. Half of her naval was peaking out of a slightly darker purple cut-off top, and knee-high silver boots topped off the outfit. She wasn't wearing any jewelry, but her hair was straightened and cascading down her back, slightly clipped up at the top. And for the first time he could tell, she was wearing a light coat of mascara, eyeliner, and light pink eyeshadow. (A/N: In other words...it's a casual version of her uniform.) But her boyfriend's awestruck stare made her turn bright red with worry,

"I told you I should-" but she didn't even get to finish. She was cut off by him pulling her into him and crushing his lips gently to hers,

"You're perfect." he told her, looking her over with a smirk. The blush that rose on Kori's cheeks gave him a smirk that he didn't want to remove. "Ready?" he asked, already eager to show her off. She nodded cutely and leaned forward, planting a light kiss on his lips before pulling away and looking at him,

"Nervous. But ready." she answered. Richard shook his head,

"No need to be nervous. You're gorgeous. And I'm right here." he said, still unable to peel his eyes away from

her. His words soothed her, and made her ready to go. He would be there to keep anything from happening to her. _He would be there_. And that was all the reassurance she needed. Before you she knew it, they were off...and even sooner, had arrived at the party.

Just by looking around, Richard reluctantly gave X a few props for having such a great turnout. There had to have been at least two hundred people there...there was any form of alcohol you could think of, so long as it was legal. There was a massive hot tub...a swimming pool...a huge stereo...and-having been to his share of parties in the day-Dick was willing to bet that most of the countless bedrooms throughout the mansion were filled by a mixture of people having sex, or doing drugs. Out of site, out of mind, right? He'd become the expert.

And part of him was eager to explore and see just how well his rival had done...though, the other part of him saw the nerves dancing across Kori's beautiful face, and he reached down to touch her hand,

"You know...we don't _have_ to do this." he spoke, softly, hoping it'd bring her some kind of comfort. He'd seen her when she was scared. This wasn't scared. But he could tell she was uncomfortable and nervous. And that's the last thing he wanted from her. She, however, could see how much he wanted to be there...so she smiled and shook her head.

"I want to. I think it'll be fun." she replied, determined to tough through it. A grin stretched over Richard's face and he leaned down to kiss her,

"You sure?" he asked. She smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Let's go." she cockily told him, giving his arm a light yank towards the direction of the large house. And as they entered without invite, everyone turned. Stopped. And stared. At the couple who stood there, looking damn near their best, hand-in-hand. Every guy within a square mile had their jaw nearly on the floor as they saw the redhead's apparel...it was safe to say, she'd become the most wanted girl in all of Gotham High.

Richard soaked up the envy of his peers' stares...never had he been so proud to show off the girl he was with. Of course...this wasn't really the emotion or train of thought that the 'center-of-attention' redhead was portraying. Not only was she not used to showing so much of her body...but she wasn't used to doing it in such an intentionally provocative way. All the stares she was receiving made her feel like she had a million eyes burning into her flaunted skin. She tugged hesitantly at her skirt, trying to pull it down a touch further in attempt at feeling more covered...but Richard's arm around her waist caught her off guard, and the leaning of his body toward hers made her about ready to melt into him.

"You look great, babe." he whispered in her ear as he noticed her evident discomfort, triggering a light smirk on her gorgeous face. It wasn't the compliment that made her inwardly glow...it was the sound of the word 'babe' coming from his mouth. And the sound of it gave her a touch more confidence as she melted into him a little more and looked around. She'd never been to a party before...things were different where she came from. 'Parties' back on Tameran generally consisted of formal gatherings of the ballroom manner...so the loud music, smoke, disorganization, and alcohol were taking her some real effort to establish familiarity with. But no matter...the man holding tightly to her waist was doing a rather successful job at easing her into the evening.

"I'll take a beer, and..." Richard paused , looking from the younger guy behind the bar counter, to Kori with a curious grin. He couldn't help but make a mental note that the bartender tended to make things a little formal...but the mans dreadlocks seemed to even things out a bit. Whatever the case, the playboy had the majority of his attention set on what she wanted to drink. Embarrassed and feeling slightly out of place, she whispered in his ear that she didn't want to drink tonight...but to her surprise, he seemed pleased with her decision.

"And a pepsi." he finished, trying to keep his satisfaction from getting the better of him. He loved the fact that his girlfriend didn't want alcohol in her system...this meant he didn't have to worry about limiting himself to a strict three-beer limit throughout the next two hours. Granted...he didn't know her reasoning. _He_ thought she just wasn't interested in drinking...but she thought otherwise. It wasn't a lack of interest...she was very curious. But alcohol was something that almost every part of her conscious mind told her to stay away from...so she would do just that. In the mean time, she could hide behind the 'designated driver' card.

It didn't matter, she had decided, and turned her attention to the two men in front of her. One was looking her over with consideration, while the other was taking a bottle opener to the drink he was about to hand her. Richard split his mindset for a moment long enough to make a tiny mental victory that the glass soda bottles were a little too fancy for a high school party, but quickly focused back on his girlfriend. He didn't want to keep getting lost in the pros and cons of his surroundings when Kori was with him, enjoying her first. He refused to ruin the experience for her because of the strength of his ego. And the way she had her exotic eyes fixated on the bottle did a very good job of shifting his focus.

She looked it up and down with so much concentration in her gaze, it was hard for Richard not to laugh. Even though he was still getting to know her, he was strongly growing attached to all her little expressions...and curiosity was by far in his top five. Not only was it absolutely adorable...but he found it almost...inspiring that she was always so eager to learn about something new. But whatever it was, it was driving him crazy. He felt a strong urge to pull her into a huge hug and shower her neck with kisses...but the knowledge of her shyness of intense public affection made him reconsider. Instead he watched her study the bottle for another few seconds, before he placed his hand on the small of her back, and leaned in close to her face,

"Do you wanna see who all showed up?" he asked her, trying to make a start of the evening. Kori's attention peeled away from her drink and she looked him over with a smirk. Was this how these things worked? She asked herself...it didn't seem like much fun, but she wasn't going to judge just yet. She placed mental trust in him and looked him over with an innocent smiled, nodding.

"After you." she spoke neutrally, looking to him for the lead he was sure to set. He just grinned...openly deciding that the night was sure to be a good time...though from across the yard, a pair of red-brown eyes fixated ferociously on the pretty redhead...there were two different deviant things running through his head at the moment. One was how to get Kori away from her ultra-protective boyfriend...and the other...which was perhaps more twisted...was how to get as much alcohol as he could manage to sneak into her system. A wicked smirk crossed his face, and he elbowed a skinny blonde girl.

"Hey Lisa...why don't you and the girls go see how Grayson is enjoying the party?" he asked...and the nod she gave him confirmed that the first move of his clever little chess game was starting to move itself into position.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Yes...I know it was abrupt and BLAH. But I've been trying to write this chapter for over two weeks, and every time I get to it, I draw a massive blank and can't get more than a paragraph out at a time...so I figure I"ll just cut it short and chop it into two chapters...

I love you guys.

I promise the next chapter will be better.


	36. Chapter 36: The End Of A Long Night

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it took me a while to update...sorry guys...but I love y'all and still hope you like this chapter! It's different...but work with me...

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

She'd never felt this way before. Everything was ultra-enhanced...the colors seemed to blur around her. All the smells of her surroundings melted together. The sounds overlapped and echoed...she couldn't make out what was what. Trying to catch her balance seemed like an impossible feat. Her hands outstretched in front of her and clung to everything she found to be solid, until her hands wrapped around something that appeared to be a railing. She gulped down the lump in her throat and shook her head,

"I need to find Richard." the words slipped through her lips by a subconscious power...she wasn't sure where it came from, but she eagerly acknowledged it as a good idea. Richard...she had to find Richard. And for a moment, her spirits were lifted by a hand gently snaking around her waist...but the way the unknown grasp was caressing her hip and naval slightly made her shudder and pull back,

"Don't worry about him, Cutie, just enjoy the party." a dark voice hissed. Even in her daze, Kori recognized it immediately. Xavier was the one holding onto her... This realization brought fourth slight nervousness. It was hard to determined what was going on...but there was a loud mental alarm going off in her head that this was a really bad idea.

"My head hurts...I just want Richard." she whimpered, trying to pull away, but not feeling much strength or effect in her action. The smirk on X's face was slightly unsettling, but he was doing a very convincing job of trying to seem like a reliable 'friend' at the moment.

"Well than let's find you a place to lie down for a moment, than I'll help you find him." he artificially soothed her. Kori's brows furrowed,

"No. I want him first." she said, trying to trust her gut instincts, even though she couldn't concentrate on anything.

"Well, maybe he's upstairs." the wicked teen boy said with a very deceitful undertone. Kori couldn't focus...every thought she had kept slipping away, and she continuously lost site of her words the instant she tried to form sentences. She heard Xavier's words in a jumble...the only part that really stood out was 'maybe he's upstairs' ...so she tried playing it through her mind one more time...'I'll help you find him' she acknowledged. Looking him over, she cautiously nodded. Even though he was normally one not to be trusted, she knew she wouldn't likely be able to find her boyfriend by herself. ...but that look on his face was so unsettling.

"No thank you, X...I can find him myself." she tried excusing herself, pushing lightly ahead of him and trying to slip away. A wave of dizziness blasted her from head to toe, and she stumbled significantly, almost falling to her knees. X smirked and took her arm in a fierce grasp,

"I think you're getting sick...let me show you where you can lie down." his voice was like a poisonous lullaby that she was trying to resist. It took more than she expected to shake her head, and she fell even more questionable conscious than she already was. Why was she giving in so easily? Maybe it was the unmeasurable heaviness weighing down on her...lying down sounded so good right now. But her mind was flashing little red flags in the form of a name...

"Richard...I need...I need Richard..." she breathed, trying once again to pull away, but the arms locked around her made evasiveness futile. X chuckled in her ear before shushing her, gently. A chill ran down her spine,

"You need to lie down...I'll show you." she couldn't focus anymore...lying down...she would go lie down. Take a nap. Richard would come get her and take her home when he was ready. It sounded like a plan...

.

..

…

….

…..

...darkness...

…..

….

…

..

.

Sensations of unwanted of adrenaline surging through Kori's body pulled her from a thick haze of unconsciousness. It took a lot of power to shake off the blackness that coated her vision, but when she did, the site of Xavier on top of her, sent a jolt of unexpected fear through her.

"Wh-what's going on?" she asked, weakly. The hands she felt running up and down from under her shirt made her shiver and wriggle from underneath them. The lips caressing her skin without her consent were making her cringe as if the contact was burning her skin. She opened her mouth to scream, before a tough hand forced her mouth closed. She tried struggling against the restraint, but she didn't have the strength to push the muscular teen off of her. In response, he just chuckled,

"It's a good thing you're a light weight." he hissed, before somehow getting her shirt off of her slender, trembling body. Kori tried screaming again, but the next thing she knew, the shirt that she was wearing no more than sixty seconds prior was shoved into her mouth and tied behind the back of her head. She gagged, and tried screaming again, but the cloth was tied so tight, no sound came out...and began to panic...she had to get out of this... But watching her struggle was only fueling Xavier's devious passion.

Hungrily, he began licking her bare hip bone, while his hands wandered to the button of her skirt. Kori groaned out of displeasure, and writhed beneath him, trying with all her might to squirm free. As that failed, and her fly was slowly being pulled down, she ignored the normal approach of resistance that would generally consist of simple struggling, and went straight for something more direct. A knee straight into X's groin. Taking into account, how out of it Kori was, her attack wasn't even enough to phase the strong boy on top of her. All it did was anger him, and cause him to pull his hand up and crash it into the side of her face.

"That's not very nice." he growled, before he shoved her down further into the bed. Kori screamed out in pain, even though it was absorbed by her gag of a t-shirt, and cried out as loud as she could for help...though it did no good. Not only was she gagged, and weak, but she was completely disoriented...completely helpless. She had no chance of overpowering him...and she thought that there was no chance anyone would hear her. But whether it was pure luck, or she was just a little louder than it had seemed, the door to the room that they were locked in flew open, and Richard stepped through it.

"Kori?" he asked, before turning over and flipping the lights on. It took him all of two seconds to look up and see the havoc unfolding in front of him, and fierce rage filled his body, "Kori!" he exploded, grabbing X and throwing him off of her with all his might. He paused for an instant to look over at his shaken girlfriend and make sure she was physically alright, before turning back to his teen rival, and blowing up with anger.

"You son of a bitch!" he shouted, starting a shower of powerful punches into X's unprepared face, one right after the other. It was nothing short of fury that was powering the blows he was landing, as he allowed the reality to hit him of what this guy was trying to do to his girlfriend just a few moments ago. He felt like his blood was boiling, and there was nothing hiding the adrenaline jetting through him. He growled and punched Xavier again and again and again.

Newly freed, Kori slid off the bed and struggled to get her homemade gag off. Clawing at the back of it, she tugged at the knot, before finally loosening it and pulling it away, immediately flooding her with relief. She began coughing fiercely, to remove the taste of fabric from her mouth, and catch up on some of the oxygen she'd missed out on, before a wave of nausea rippled through her, and she quickly bent over and threw up on the floor, coughing as she did.

These noises caught Richard's attention once more. There was a decision to be made...Richard could get his girlfriend home, clean, and safe/comfortable...or he could keep beating the living daylights out of the asshole that just almost sexually assaulted her. ...his choice was made without even having to think. So he looked once more at X and grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him clear off the ground,

"You better hope you're not in school on Monday." he angrily threatened, before slamming one more tight fist into his jaw and knocking him straight to the floor. It took him all he had not to land a kick to his gut...but he found the need to tend to his possibly hurt girlfriend, and he found his way to her side, kneeling beside her.

"Shit, baby, what happened to you?" he asked, unsure of what action he should make. He didn't know if she was hurt or not, and didn't want to make matters worse, if she were. But the way she whimpered his name and turned to bury her face into his arm did a decent job of filling him in on what she didn't say. He grit his teeth and slid his jacket off his shoulders, draping it over her, and wrapping his arms around her before he lifted her off the hard floor.

"I'm sorry we got separated...let's get you home...it's gonna be okay." he tried soothing her as he exited the room, and hoped that they didn't attract too much attention on their way out...he didn't know if she could really handle it...but thankfully, he didn't have to find out. Most of the remaining people at the party were either passed out, or too drunk and self absorbed to notice the couple slip out the front door...much to the playboy's relief.

The drive home was quiet and smooth...Kori was drowsy, fading in and out of consciousness...he figured it was just because of the alcohol, so he sympathized and tried not to disturb her. He just wanted to get her safe in her room so she could rest, which made it hard not to speed the whole way there. Of course...time is always moving forward, even when it seems to be going by slowly, and he eventually wound up pulling into their driveway...and not a moment too soon.

Richard turned off the engine and stepped out of the car making his way around it and over to the passenger side. He carefully pulled her off the seat, making sure he kept her covered by his coat, and closed the door behind him, not even bothering to lock it. Making his way through the house, he was swift and smooth in his steps, taking her up the tall staircase. Even though she was apparently ill, he still found it hard not to stare. In fact, the only thing he knew was keeping him from just gazing at her in his arms was the importance of getting her into bed.

He turned the corned and used his foot to push the bathroom door open. He knew it would be hard to get her into pajamas when she was this unresponsive, he decided to go with the next best thing...her bath robe. It was freshly washed this morning, by Alfred, and he knew how much she loved snuggling into her bed with it on...not to mention, it would be the easiest thing to get on her. So he sat her on the counter and gently brushed her hair behind her ear, kissing her neck to ease her nerves, and going to undo the button of her skirt.

She winced and resisted for a moment-but only for a moment. The instant she realized it was him, she relaxed and let him slip her clothing past her feet. Partially, she felt vulnerable, but trusted him all the same. She than just went with whatever he was doing...going purely on faith, since she didn't know what her mind was really trying to tell her. In so doing this, he managed to slide her long fuzzy robe onto her half-naked body, and tie it tight to keep her warm and ready for bed. He paused for a moment to look her over, care in every ounce of his gaze, as he studied her.

For a minute, he tried to think of something to say...anything that would make this night better for her...but about thirty seconds later, he gave up, and leaned in to softly kiss her lips. She kissed him back, purely out of instinct, and melted into him as he scooped her back up and began towards her room, holding her close, and counting the seconds until he could tell her to relax and go to sleep.

Swinging the door open, he slowly walked over to her bed. As gently as he could, Richard lowered her onto it, waiting for her grasp to loosen, so he could settle her into her covers. It was obvious that she didn't let go, as he somewhat pulled away to look her over. He couldn't help but feel terrible for how the night had become, but he tried to ignore it as he stroked her hair behind her ear, and leaned in close to her to kiss her cheek.

"Baby, I'm so sorry." he guiltily muttered. Kori couldn't quite register all that was going on, but she knew there wasn't anything for him to be apologizing for. So she shook her head and turned her face to meet his lips with her own, kissing him gently, but exhaling loudly, and sending a chill down his spine. He kissed her back, but made sure his body was up and off of hers...he knew they were both vulnerable.

"Richard..." she moaned his name into his ear in such a sultry breath, it sent every part of his body on a tingling rampage. He tried to shake off the immediate instincts of his testosterone, as he gently began tucking her into bed...but when she started to claw lightly at his shirt, he had to pull away to keep from coming undone.

"What are you-"

"Shh..." she cut him off, dizzily pulling him closer to her. He was rigid and locked up, trying not to push her away-especially after the night she'd just had-but unsure how well he would be able to control himself, if she tempted him much further. "Richard...I...Richard..." she couldn't pull her words together, but her fingertips on the back of his neck did an equally accurate job of telling him what she was unable to say.

"Kori, you're drunk...you don't know what's going on babe...get some sleep...you just need rest." he soothed her, trying to politely pull her hands away from the parts of his skin that were bare through his shirt, but she wasn't about to let him. In truth, she had no idea what was fueling these feelings. The logic that was circling through her head told her the same things that he was telling her...that this wasn't what she needed right now. But every sensation in her body told her something completely different. She couldn't think...but that didn't mean she couldn't acknowledge the feelings that she could identify.

"No, Richard...I want this...you...I...yes...I want this..." she breathed, tightening her grasp on him so quickly, it caught him off guard, as she pulled him closer to her and touched her lips to his. He shuddered as a jolt ran through him with her kiss, and he was a split second away from coming completely unglued. His entire body began trembling with her touch, and all he could think about was how much he needed a cold shower.

"Kor, you're not-" but he couldn't finish his sentence before she kissed him again. Damnit, why was she so persistently making this harder on him? He was trying to do the right thing here. But she kissed him again and ran one of her hands underneath his shirt, tracing it around his muscles. He couldn't hold back the groan of pleasure as he felt her skin on his, but swallowed and shook his head, pulling away about a half inch...which was still pure torture for him.

"Kori-"

"Richard, I know what I'm doing, please..." she pleaded, kissing him again, and gently scraping her nails down his chest.

"Baby, I-gahh..." she cut him off by tugging on his belt and gently nipping on his lower lip,

"Richard, please..." she moaned.

"Kor-"

"Please..." she once again breathed into his ear, leaning closer and biting his neck, fiddling with the buckle on his belt. In one last futile attempt to resist, Richard rose up and away...but not only did that simply give him a better look at her, it made her more hungry for him, so she ravenously yanked him towards her again, crushing their lips together and sighing loudly into his mouth. "Please." she spoke again, delving her tongue into his mouth. He couldn't take it anymore...groaning, he lowered his weight onto her and kissed her with all his might, before reaching over and turning off the light.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...yeah, I bet it's not what you were expecting...but what do you think? I kept writing it on and off whenever I found time, so I know it was all over the place...I was just trying not to overdo the detail...either way, I promise it goes into more detail/plot in the next chapter, so stay tuned:) I'll update as soon as I can.

In the mean time, please tell me what you thought. I'm really eager to see the reactions I get to this...change in events.


	37. Chapter 37: Crash Course Of Tam Med

So I know this one took a while to get up, but I tried to make it longer than the past couple ones I've posted. I hope I didn't disappoint!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

When waking up to his beautiful girlfriend, Richard couldn't help but stop and stare... There were so many things going through his head...one was strong guilt. He knew she'd assured him and pushed him that she wanted what happened between them last night...but she had been so drunk, how...could he have given in? He knew the answer to that...he'd never been as attracted to anyone as he was to her...but in the same token, he cared about her more than he's ever cared about...anyone, really. So...how could he give in when he knew she was so vulnerable? ...he cursed himself. She looked so innocent, sleeping there in her fuzzy purple robe...peaceful...delicate... He grit his teeth and leaned down, gently kissing her forehead and hoping not to wake her.

"Sleep well sweetheart..." he told her, before slipping out the bed and approaching her door. He paused for a moment and turned to look at her as she lie there...as bad as he felt for having taken advantage of her, he still couldn't help but smile at how cute she was snuggled up there. He wanted to crawl back in there and hold her tight...but he knew it wasn't the best idea...what if she didn't remember what happened last night? He swallowed and turned around, slipping out of the quiet room as discretely as he could, closing the door behind him.

He began making his way downstairs...not only did he need coffee to wake up, but he assumed that with however much she'd had to drink...she would be needing some too this morning. He still didn't know how she managed to get that intoxicated that quickly. He didn't think she even wanted to drink...and than...she got away from him for maybe twenty minutes..._maybe _thirty. But when I got back to her, she was literally falling down drunk. ...she wouldn't take hard liquor. So how did she...? Even if X spiked her drink-no. He wouldn't think about that. If he even suspected that Xavier had **snuck **her alcohol, there would be living hell to pay. For now, he'd just play dumb...water under the bridge, as it was. He needed coffee.

"How was the party?" Bruce asked, as he watched the young former playboy enter the kitchen. Gritting his teeth, Dick prepared for the skeptical interrogation. He hated these discussions. Bruce was famous for his parties and nightlife, yet if his 'son' did anything along those lines, he was hypocritical and crude. He found it almost exhausting to say the least...

"It was nothing special. I'd give it a B-." he muttered, trying to play his answer neutrally. His father-figure didn't buy it...he knew his son far too well.

"Being modest, or did something bad happen?"he asked...Richard rolled his eyes. Alright, so maybe Bruce was in a good mood today...perhaps this could turn into a civilized conversation.

"Didn't like the guy hosting it." he reasoned, receiving a skeptical look,

"Than why go?" Bruce asked with a flat look. Rolling his eyes, the teenager began pouring a cup of coffee with a smirk,

"To take Kori to her first American party." the broad billionaire was pleasantly surprised with this answer...he was already beginning to think of the bubbly redheaded exchange student like a daughter.

"Did she enjoy herself?" he asked, trying to sound laid back and unbiased on the topic.

"Definitely. That's actually why I'm down here. I need coffee. I get to walk her through her first hangover." Dick spoke with sarcastic amusement. But with this, Bruce's eyes widened, and shock-as well as slight fear-erupted onto his face.

"What?" he exclaimed, rising to his feet, and harshly staring down his son. Richard rolled his eyes...he knew that Kori was the 'good girl' type, and that his father-figure took great pride in that. But he found it admittedly ridiculous...this was a special occasion. If he couldn't cut her some slack for something like that, than there was about to be a pretty big spat. But for the moment, he was going to play it both dumb and calm...see what was coming, before he reacted to it.

"Oh, relax, Bruce. It was a party. She was with me. And I didn't drink when I drove her home." he tried reassuring him, but still, all that was acknowledged was the spoken presence of alcohol

"You let her drink?" he snapped again, looking at him in a 'say-it-isn't-so' kind of glare. Dick shrugged, trying to hide the fact that he was quickly getting pissed off.

"She's a big girl." he huffed. But Bruce thought for a moment, and shook his head,

"...she wouldn't do that. Where is she?" he asked, looking at the entrance of the kitchen as if he expected her to walk right in. The teen playboy rolled his eyes once again...why was it so hard to believe that she was just hungover from a good party?

"Still asleep. It's only one o'clock, after all." he reasoned, growing frustrated with the thick-headedness of his mentor. But with news of the usually early-rising girl still asleep at this hour made Bruce's heart sink...

"Oh my god, Dick, what have you done? Alfred!" he called upstairs, catching Richard slightly off guard.

"Bruce, what the hell are you talking about?" he asked, looking around for logic in the situation. Why would Alfred have been called downstairs if there was truly nothing wrong? ...the gears in his head began turning. Even though he saw no threat, doubt was surfacing in his mind.

"What is it, sir?" came the voice of their loyal, elderly butler. Bruce looked at him with a look of sharp seriousness,

"Prep a cot and some insulin...I'll be down in sixty seconds." he spoke as if it were a well-rehearsed doomsday plan. Alfred looked between the two of them in light shock, but nodded and disappeared towards the infirmary. A lump caught in Richard's throat,

"What?" he managed, trying to catch up on what'd just happened in the last ten-or so-seconds. But Bruce turned and looked at him, about to rage until he saw the slight panic on his son's face...it made him calm down a little bit,

"She can't have any alcohol at all, Dick... I'll explain it once we get her downstairs and get her blood sugar balanced. Please go get her and bring her down here." he instructed, patiently. But Richard was slightly frozen in fear,

"What's going on?" he asked again. Bruce grit his teeth,

"She's got alcohol poisoning. You're going to deny it, and we're going to argue for a few minutes, until I explain it to you and than you'll freak out and yell at me for not already . But right now, just take my word for it, and bring her downstairs so we can balance her blood sugar." he instructed, looking him dead in the eye and waiting for either struggle or compliance. It was a lot for the teenager to process at the moment...but he just figured it would be better to go with in her favor than fight reality to understand it before doing anything. So he swallowed and nodded,

"A-alright..." and with that, he was hurriedly on his way to the purple bedroom that held his questionable healthy girlfriend. His head was spinning with questions, and he felt almost nauseous... In less than five minutes, his morning went from slightly humorous and likely promising, to this...Kori had alcohol poisoning and was in 'danger'? It made no sense... But it didn't need to, he supposed...if she was at any kind of risk, that he'd just bit his tongue and follow Bruce's instructions. For once the childhood quote 'better safe than sorry' was highly in effect.

Swallowing, and trying to silence all the thoughts whirling through his mind, he entered her room and looked down at the peaceful angel that rested unconscious within the covers. Part of him wanted to smile as he took in the sheer beauty that lay before his eyes, but the other was vigorously trying to detect signs of anything visibly wrong with her...she looked fine. He couldn't _see _anything out of the ordinary...it didn't make any sense...

"Dick!" he heard Bruce's impatient voice calling from downstairs. He snapped back to the mission at hand and tried his best to shake away any other conflicts from his head... She was more important right now. So he carefully knelt next to his goddess of a girlfriend, slipped the blankets off, and gently scooped her into his arms. Cradling her like a porcelain doll, he began his decent down about six hallways and three flights of stairs, finding himself in the infirmary. He laid her down with the utmost care, and looked over at Bruce with quivering nerves. There was a cloud of confused dread hovering over the young playboy...and the seconds creeping by in silence felt like the most devious form of torture,

"Come on, Bruce, what's going on?" he asked, impatiently, but before he could get an answer, Alfred pierced her arm with a needle. As the loyal butler pushed a vial of clear liquid into her veins, Bruce pulled out a breathalyzer and pressed it gently to the redhead's mouth. He than closed his hand over the center of her chest, and pushed down in a sharp motion, stimulating an exhalation, and making the numbers '0.49' appear on the small device.

(A/N: I'm not the most knowledgeable of common doctor knowledge, so bare with me, I'm improvising. Just know that '0.49' is borderline lethal blood-alcohol level.)

The billionaire's fears were confirmed, as he grit his teeth and plotted the best approach to this situation. Richard, on the other hand, was stunned, falling to his knees, and shaking his head in disbelief,

"How...?" he asked quietly... He didn't expect an answer...but for some reason, saying it make him less likely to freak out.

"Get her three more vials, set her on an IV, and let's wrap her up so she starts to sweat." Bruce commanded, trying to stay collected, even though it was obvious he was fighting with nerves. Thankfully, Alfred was still put together, and nodded calmly to his boss, before he began following the list of instructions that was just laid upon him.

"Yes sir." he confirmed, preparing his 'Kori-made' just-in-case mixture of adrenaline and insulin. He'd had it ready since the day she'd arrived as a fail safe...he just hadn't expected to ever actually use it. Like the escape slide on an airplane...no one expects to use it. It's simply for peace of mind...but not in this case... As Alfred tapped the air out of the syringe and began to inject her, Richard's disbelief settled in deeper and deeper, and he started shaking his head,

"Bruce...there's no way..." he managed, watching the needle sink into Kori's skin, and trying to convince himself that she wasn't really in the danger that she seemed to be. His denial, however, seemed to do nothing but irritate his father-figure, and he was met with a frustrated stare,

"I told you, she can't have _any_ alcohol in her system, whatsoever." he reasoned, reserving his emotions for the sake of maintaining a positive hope for this outcome. Dick knew him well enough to recognize this, and was nervously taken back...he would've been almost afraid to ask, if it weren't for his 'need-to-know' mentality.

"I don't understand." he managed, lightly egging Bruce to go on further...he seemed to get the drift.

"Where she comes from, alcohol doesn't exist in her society. Her culture has never been exposed to it." but with this, the teenager was lost once again. To him, there was something missing...

"What does that have to do with her having a lethal level in just a few minutes? That makes no sense." he growled out of frustration, looking over at her and running what he'd just been told through his head over and over, trying to make some kind of sense of it. Alright...maybe she had a low tolerance and got drunk easily...but it was a matter of minutes that she was out of his sight...unless she did a long row of shots-which he somehow knew wasn't the case-than she couldn't possibly be poisoned... It had to be something else... But Bruce shook his head,

"It means her body doesn't even know how to recognize it. She has no tolerance at all. When she ingested it, her system didn't know what to do, so it shut itself down." he said through lightly clenched teeth, waiting for the dramatic fireworks from his son. To his surprise, Richard just shook his head, processing silently, and taking a step back,

"But, I just..." he stopped, realizing he was at a loss for words. What Bruce told him made sense...it unfortunately made sense...so he decided to bite his tongue and go into a more willing direction with their conversation, "What do we do?" his question was pulled out of a large jumble of things he wanted to ask.

"Alfred is going to thin her blood with Saline for starters...and by bundling her up, she can sweat it out." the broad billionaire patiently explained. He thought it best not to mention the adrenaline that she was being injected with...even though it was just to keep her heart pumping as it should, it made the situation sound much more dangerous than it seemed to be...and Dick wouldn't likely be able to see the logic in it, without getting overly concerned about it. But the gears were obviously turning in the teenager's head...he'd accepted the answer, and bit his tongue. There were a couple objections as well as suggestions that he wanted to make...but he safely concluded that now really wasn't the best time to do that.

"But she's...gonna be okay?" he finally asked after a moment of silence, turning to Alfred curiously. The sweet old man nodded, and looked him over,

"Yes, Master Dick...she should be fine." he told him, trying to sound convincing, even though-to be honest-he really wasn't entirely sure...Kori was so different, he couldn't be positive. But Richard heard as much as he needed to.

"Thank god..." he muttered, looking over at the beautiful girl, and swallowing the thick lump in his throat. Bruce followed his gaze and studied his temporary daughter...the vulnerable innocence that her unconscious figure possessed put slight anger in the tall man...

"How could you be so careless?" he suddenly snapped. Now that her safety was in the clear, there was nothing saving Richard from the lecture that was hiding on the tip of his tongue. Slightly surprised by his outburst, Dick looked over at him and furrowed his brows,

"I didn't see her drinking, Bruce, I wouldn't have let it happen if I had known-"

"She knew. It was none of your business." Bruce snapped. He didn't intend to come off so harsh, but he wasn't turning back now. This was a serious matter. And the level of irresponsibility that his son had portrayed the previous night was both disappointing and upsetting. But his remark didn't sit at all well with the young playboy, whose eyes widened in anger,

"Whoa, none of my business? That's my girlfriend! I took her to that party to have fun. I didn't make her drink. She didn't want to and I was fine with that! But the fact that she gets blood poisoning from it? How is that not my business?" he growled, stepping closer as a way of standing his ground. But Bruce wasn't phased...they've argued so many times that each of them knew the other up and down...almost all of the body language was memorized, to the point, intimidation was nearly impossible to achieve between the two of them.

"You didn't need to know. It didn't affect you, and she trusted me to keep her home life between her and I." he said, calmly. But even though he saw the logic in Kori's life being confidential, his frustration was growing,

"She's my girlfriend, Bruce. I have every right to know-"

"For christ's sake, she's been your girlfriend for a matter of days!" Bruce cut him off sharply, obviously irritated with the 'she's my girlfriend' card that Dick was using so strongly. If anything, he saw it as more reason for her to have been looked after last night. But Alfred's hand on his shoulder kept him from going into further detail of how disappointed he was.

"Sir, I know it's not my place, but perhaps this argument would be better suited for a later time." he interrupted politely, gesturing over to their 'patient' who was lightly stirring in her cot. Richard's eyes lit up and he quickly pushed past Bruce, rushing over and kneeling next to her,

"Kori?" he asked, reaching forward and gently touching the side of her face. He'd hoped that the contact would further wake her from her slumber...and he was right. Her eyes fluttered open and looked up at him innocently, accompanied by a sweet, 'happy-to-see-him' smile,

"Good morning." she purred, turning her head and lightly kissing his hand. He was taken slightly back...she was so cavalier? Mmm...he would take this one step at a time.

"How do you feel?" he asked her, looking her over with deep consideration. Kori furrowed her brows in slight confusion, and raised her head to look at him more directly,

"Fine, why?" she inquired, making Richard raise a brow. He wasn't sure how to react to that...she was disoriented, he could understand that...but how should he approach that? He watched her slowly start to look around...and watched as she realized just where she was. "What's going on?" she asked him, looking up confused.

"You don't remember anything?" he asked, cautiously...watching as she shook her head,

"Richard, what's going on?" she asked again, looking for answers in his blue eyes as they stared down at her. He swallowed and touched her hand gently...

"You don't remember last night?" he had to test the water before he said anything...he didn't know what kind of move he should make in this situation. But the look on her face made it pretty clear how much she remembered.

"What do you mean, last night?" she asked again, trying to sit up, but she was just too dizzy. Dic's heart slightly sunk... Part of his was relieved that she didn't remember... That way-to her, at least-what X tried to do to her never happened. And he didn't want her to remember something like that... But the other part of him was conflicted...she didn't know that anything happened between them last night, either. And perhaps...that was a good thing. He knew she'd probably view it as moving too fast. But the emotions behind it...were they supposed to forget all that too? ...right now, it didn't matter. He just swallowed and shook his head, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

"Nothing, baby. Everything's fine." he assured her, looking over at Bruce, and watching him as he shook his head and walked away. Once he was gone, Richard pulled away and met Kori's eyes once again. She studied him carefully...she could see that something was bothering him. But she knew him well enough to know that he generally wasn't the type to vent about it, and she didn't intend on prying.

"Do you want to lay here?" she asked him sweetly. Looking back at her, he couldn't help but grin, and pull up the corner of her blanket,

"Scoot over." he told her jokingly. She giggled and obeyed his light command, watching as he climbed up there next to her. She smiled at him, almost gratefully, and snuggled into his strong chest. He melted into the sensation of feeling her against him and wrapped his arms tightly around her, reaching for the covers, slowly. But as he kissed her forehead and tucked her in, his mind wandered to a newly settled certainty; he had a bone to pick with Xavier Monday morning.

XOXOXOXOXOX

There...a longer chapter than the most recent ones...how was it? Lol...hope you guys tell me for yourselves!


	38. Chapter 38: Nothing Good

Gasp! A timely update? Can it be? Hope y'all like this one...I kinda feel like it's a tad choppy, but...who knows? My opinion isn't the one that matters. Enjoy:)

Please read and review.

Flamers and praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Walking through her doorway, Richard was gently swarmed with the scent of her shampoo...it was clear she'd just recently gotten out of the shower. He couldn't help but grin as he watched her sift through her long red hair with her brush...but the instant she saw him watching her, her cheeks turned pink as she suddenly felt put on the spot. A chuckle escaped his amused lips, but studying her for a moment, his face went straight, and he caught and held her gaze for a moment,

"Are you sure you're feeling up to school?" he asked, recieving a playful smirk from her.

"You keep asking that. I'm fine." she reassured him, fighting the urge to once again ask why he kept asking her that. But she knew if she did, he likely wouldn't give her an answer...just like all the other times. Either way, Richard, on the other hand, had mixed feelings about her answer. Faking a smile, he ran through his head how much he wishes she'd stay home. He wanted to confront Xavier when he got to school today...he'd been planning it out the past several days. The only problem was that-well...there were two problems. One was that Kori didn't remember what X had almost done to her...and he didn't want her to. He knew she'd ask questions if a fight broke up between them.

But the other issue he had with her being in school the day he decided to resolve the happenings from the weekend...he really didn't want her to see that side of him. He zoned out when he was angry. When he was fighting, he had a different mindset...he went into pure rage. He didn't hold back...it was like a different person. And he really didn't want her to see that...he didn't want to lose his control around her. But he had been looking forward to beating him within an inch of his life since the moment he pulled him off of his girlfriend. But he bit his tongue and looked at her, trying to mentally fight the rage that was beginning to boil in his veins...she was going, so there wasn't much point in trying to run the through reasoning for him not wanting her to.

"Do you want the bike or Mustang?" he asked, quickly changing the subject in a discrete attempt of keeping a positive mood. Kori sort of saw something wrong in his eyes, but felt it best to shut her mouth and just play dumb. Acting like what he'd just asked was a plausible, reasonable, and all above random question, she rolled her eyes,

"You know how much I love your bike." she told him, speaking the first thing that popped into her head. A proud grin broke cross Richard's handsome face. He had to stop and look her over...was there anything in the world she said that he didn't absolutely love? So far, he couldn't think of anything, and looked her up and down with pride,

"Bike it is. I'll be downstairs when you're ready, Kor." he told her with a smirk, before exiting her room, and heading down the hall. He knew they were still pretty early, and had a little bit of time before they had to leave. And he could see that her hair was still wet, so he knew she would need a few more minutes to get ready...and he ultimately knew that there was a stop he needed to make before they made their way through the day. So he tried to make it look like he was heading for the living room so as not to raise questions with Kori...but the instant he was out of her site and hearing range, he found his way to Bruce's office and peered in at his father shuffling through files on the computer. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the pair of grey/brown eyes that caught him lingering in the doorway,

"What is it?" the tall man asked hastily, still obviously very on-edge from the happenings of the weekend. Richard didn't express any emotion.

"I think Xavier Redd was the one who poisoned Kori. I'm pretty sure he spiked her drink." he spoke with all the seriousness in the world. He wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect with his accusation, but what he recieved was an irritated stared, followed by the stereotypical rolling of the eyes,

"Grow up, Dick. Can't you just once take responsibility for your mistakes? And to childishly blame your high school rival? What-"

"He tried..._raping_ her, Bruce. The night of the party, I actually had to pull him off of her." Richard slowly confessed, becoming rigid and shuddering at the memory. For a moment, Bruce was made to question the truth in what his son was telling him. But quickly deciding that he knew this isn't something he would make up, the billionaire grew slightly angered by what he'd just been told. He wouldn't admit it...but he looked at the bubbly little redhead as a daughter. He wanted to keep her safe and happy. And just the idea of her getting hurt in that way made him cringe...

But of course, on seperate note, this was somethign he had to take with a grain of salt. He knows how much Kori means to Dick...so he didn't entirely suspect that he woult joke about something like _that_ happening to her. But...on the other hand, he also knew about the hatred that his son possessed for Xavier. They had been 'rivals' since middle school...so how was he supposed to know whether there was actuall logic/reasoning behind his son's accusations, or if it was out of spite for what he'd tried to do. He had to look at this from the 'father figure' point of view...

"As...upsetting as that is. It doesn't mean he spiked her drink." he lectured, just awaiting the denial and pushing from Richard, that he knew was coming. But to his surprise, the teenager was relaxed and just shook his head, remaining calm and collected. He looked his father over and rose a brow-the way he does when he's about to bring out the big guns in an argument.

"Than why was it his girlfriend and sister that pulled me away from her in the first place? Why was she only gone for ten minutes at the most, and when I found her, she was wasted, with that asshole trying to take advantage of her? I know it was him, Bruce." he spoke...but his words were filled with the utmost clarity, and strikingly believable eye contact. Bruce looked him over and paused, stopping to think for a minute. He couldn't deny that Xavier Redd had a reputation for using girls with questionable concent...there were stories floating around, as well as vague accusations. What Richard said made sense...but there was still doubt circling above the billionaire's head like a vulture over a fresh carcus.

"Can you prove it?" he asked, finally, breaking the silence with his usual flat-line tone. Dick swallowed the hard lump in his throat and reluctantly shook his head,

"No." he managed, watching his father look away and to a wall, nodding silently. Helplessness lightly laced the playboy's thoughts, "But I know it was him." he said again, determined to stand by his point. Bruce sighed and looked at the teen boy, slightly admitting the admirability of the situation, but sticking more importantly to being the voice of reason.

"It's not what you know, Dick...it's what you can prove." he spoke, blandly, waiting for the-likely angry-reaction to surface...and it did. Playing his father's words through his head, the young man's stern face turned into a sort of appauled glare,

"So I just let him get away with this?" he asked, hoping the question would be rhetorical, and that there would be something he could do. He didn't like the way this conversation was going...and-though he wouldn't admit it-Bruce didn't either. But he was a man of buisiness...he had to think logically and look at all angles. He didn't see anything coming of this situation. There was no way to prove that X was in the wrong, and he and Dick had a history of disliking one another...so it wouldn't fly. There was nothing that could be done. Though Richard watched the gears turn in his mentor's head, and was already preparing his defense to whatever 'morally sound' neutral response that he knew was being cooked up.

"There's not much you can do, unfortunately. She's not hurt...he didn't succeed in his endeavor-"

"No. No way in hell am I just going to ignore this! What would you do if it happened to the girl you were with? What if it had been Diana?" Dick's outburst definitely made Bruce start to think. He was, in fact, starting to see a new girl. They'd only been out a few times, and weren't nearly as close and Kori and Richard seemed to be, but...still, the thought of someone trying to step forcively into his territory, while defying her rights in the process...it couldn't have settled more bitterly with him. Which got him thinking even more...this was _Kori_ that this had all occured with. Innocent, naive, Kori. ...just the thought of someone forcing her...

"I'd tear the bastard a new one." Bruce growled lowly, knowing he was wrong in saying this, but overwhelmed with empathy. Richard couldn't help but smirk, pleasantly surprised to see his almost 'holier-than-now' (when it came to him, at least) father actually throwing out the moral handbook that always seemed to be tightly clutched in his hand for a change.

"Precisely." Dick muttered in a low growl. Bruce looked him over and stopped to think. He knew that this was an immature and irresponsible response. He also knew that it was pretty damn stupid. But not only did he know that he wouldn't be able to stop him...he didn't entirely want to.

"Just be smart about this, Dick... Don't make it possible for him to press charges. And don't get suspended again." he intructed, leaning back in his large office chair. Richard smirked again...this time at the 'again' that was thrown into his criticism. "And try to avoid there being any witnesses." he was almost surprised there wasn't a 'and make sure you don't kill him' in there with all that.

"This isn't my first rodeo, Bruce." the teenager quipped proudly. Bruce knew what he was referring to...he was the one who helped Dick through all the static that arose with the death of his parents. He'd decided that the best thing to do in this situation was to remain silent and return to his work. And that's what he did, indirectly excusing his son...and secretly hoping that he'd disappear from his doorway so he could check a few things.

Coincidentally, Richard was eager to journet to the kitchen and meet up with his beautiful girlfriend...so by the time Bruce glanced back one more time, there was no one there. He was already down the hall, making his way down the stairs, and walking in to find Kori standing by the coffee maker, taking her first dose of caffeine for the day. She was dressed in a jean skirt and Metallica t-shirt, and her hair was done up in a messy bun, with tendrals falling every which way. He couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

"A very good look for you." he commented, highly satisfied. She smiled cutely and set her mug in the sink, running water in it, and turning back to her boyfriend, holding up the keys,

"Ready?" she cockily inquired. Dick smirked and took them out of her hand, leaning in, and stealing a quick kiss from her...not that she minded, of course.

"As I'll ever be." he answered, looking her over with a grin. Kori just smiled and waited for him to pull away, following his lead into the garage, and closing the door behind them. They fell into their usual routine, melting into playful conversation and giving into the fun of the motorcycle as they sped off toward school. What they didn't know was that the master of the house was watching them on surveilence cameras, waiting for them to leave. And now that they had, he emerged from his desk and began mimicing Richard's route to the kitchen.

Once he found himself there, he peered in to see Alfred dumping out the coffee pot and rinsing it out, faithfully. He felt kind of sick, watching him, and thinking of what exactly needed to be said. But the instant that the elderly butler caught site of his boss standing a few feet away from him at such an odd time of the day, he was caught slightly off guard. He set the glass pot onto the counter and turned to look Bruce over in confusion,

"I'm sorry sir, were you not finished?" he asked, ready to start a fresh batch of coffee, if given the request. But he received silence for a moment, followed by his master shaking his head and breaking eye contact...surely not a sign of good things to come.

"It's not about that, Alfred. It's about Korina." Bruce began, successfully gathering his full attention in one surprised sweep.

"What do you mean, sir?" the old man asked innocently, furrowing his brows, and leaning in impatiently. But Bruce just swallowed,

"I got word this morning that Ryand'r (her brother) was killed by the Coridan..." Bruce trailed off, obviously in a loss for words. Being fully up-to-date on the full situation, Alfred's heart sank, and his entire morning seemed to darken with a subconscious dread.

"Wh-what does that mean for our Korina?" he asked, looking to his boss in hope for a quick answer. Kori was right now his closest friend. He loved her like a daughter and wanted her around as long as possible... But given the precariousness of the circumstance...things could get ugly really quick. Even the silence of waiting for Bruce to answer his question felt like nails on a chalkboard in his head. But finally the billionaire looked down and shook his head, nearly feeling sick to his stomach as he tried to think of how to answer Alfred's question. Finally, he gave and looked away, finding his eyes resting on Kori's mug in the sink.

"Nothing good, Alfred...absolutely nothing good."

XOXOXOXOXOX

O.O so...could it be that I'm foreshadowing?

Bet y'all didn't know that Bruce knew about her home life! Lol...surprise surprise?

Please review and tell me what you thought. The more you review, the sooner I'll update:)


	39. Chapter 39: Left A Few Things Out

Alright...kinda a filler chapter, but it pieces you in a little more to Kori's little ordeal. Hope y'all enjoy.

Please read and review!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Bruce's gray eyes stared out the window, waiting for his son's bike to disappear from the driveway. He had to make sure the coast was clear for the conversation that he planned on pulling up with his loyal butler, and wanted to be assured that they were fully out of the way, before he initialized anything. Though the light security beep that sounded when the front gate opened, did a decent enough job at solidifying his assumptions, and the tall billionaire nodded to the elderly man standing next to him,

"Let's go." he instructed...and they were quickly off, heading through the maze-like hallways, and into Bruce's large office. Unsure exactly what to expect, Alfred stood back and watched his boss rifle through a thickly filled drawer. It appeared to be in alphabetical order...though some of the files in it were color-coated...he assumed to express importance, or something along those lines...Bruce was always very organized. And when he pulled out a gold folder labeled 'Operation Tameran', a little more sense came into the picture.

"You said they expect her by February, if the worst should occur...I assume this _is _the worst?" Alfred asked, as he watched the folder's contents be spread neatly across the desk in front of them. A lump formed in Bruce's throat as he looked down, swallowed hard, and slowly nodded in response,

"Her sister is taking over, now that Ryand'r is dead. It'll take a few months for her to gain full control, but when she does...she's not quite as fond of Korina as we are." the vagueness of the statement was blunt and in your face...but no further clarity was needed. It was pretty obvious what was implied...the fate of the sweet redhead seemed to be dark, indeed. But dear old Alfred was enforcing willing naivety, and looked up at the man next to him, hopefully,

"But I don't understand. If Korina is the new heiress, how can-"

"She's far more valuable, for starters...but it's an absolute monarchy. Kommand'r can do literally anything." The stress of the word 'anything' sent shivers down his spine...it'd been proven that the Grand Ruler of Tameran could do anything he or she pleases...hence how Kori became so uncommonly..._valuable,_ in the first place. But it didn't matter at the moment... Their focus wasn't on what would happen at the very worst...their focus was on trying to keep anything bad from happening.

"There must be a loop-hole...an overruling...a sort of veto? A vote?" he was spit-balling whatever logical idea popped into his head, one after the other...because, if there was anything that working along side Bruce in Wayne Enterprises showed him, was that there was always a loophole to be found somewhere... But even the master of finding them-Bruce-seemed extremely skeptical on the situation,

"Oh, there is. If at least 90% of Tameran's population disagrees with her, than there would be a hearing." he said, softly. The billionaire had a hopeless tone in his voice, but a ray of light fell into Alfred's point of view for a moment,

"Than there's hope." he began, optimistically, "You said that she's loved by her people." the reason was there, but it didn't seem to matter to Bruce, who looked away and shook his head,

"It won't make a difference. If Kommand'r says that they can exchange Korina for peace...what do you think they'll vote for?" It sadly made sense...but there was still hope. Perhaps it was just a sweet old man being naïve, but he looked up and tried to catch eye contact-though his boss seemed too bothered by the situation to look at him, at the moment.

"There's still a chance...war can bring out the best in people." it was obvious that he was trying so hard...but it didn't do much good. Bruce shook his head and looked at his butler with narrow eyes, and a sharply furrowed brow.

"The best and the worst, Alfred. But 90% would have to be in her favor. One life for an entire country? It's not possible." but this went against what he always preached. 'Anything's possible' he always lectured...but it didn't seem true to him in this case.

"It's...sir, it's **possible**." but even as he spoke, the doubt surfaced in his words, and even he hardly believed what he'd just said. Bruce shook his head...he didn't believe it either.

"I'm still going to look for another option. I'm not going to put her life in the hands of a one in a million chance." he was trying not to completely discredit his ally's suggestion. He knew he was trying...and he appreciated the effort...but the truth was, it simply wasn't going to work. They had to find something other than the small lead they had as it was. And Alfred could see on his face, just the sort of thing he was looking for...so he performed a mini brainstorm, and was hit in the face with obvious possibility of;

"But...couldn't we just keep her here? Play dumb and hide her?" he asked...but the look he received told him that this approach was an absolute no-go.

"That would likely pull America into their war, as well...if not, the entire planet." Bruce spoke...it was visibly evident that he was growing frustrated at the moment...not being able to think of a way to cheat the system...it wasn't like him, at all. But there was a piece of the middle-aged man's words that caught Alfred's attention in a fierce grasp, and momentarily tore his focus off of Kori, entirely.

"..._planet_, sir?" he asked with slightly widened eyes, wonderin gif he'd heard him wrong. But intergalactic missions weren't unheard-of for the special divisions of Wayne Enterprises...so he tried to keep an open mind as he waited for an answer. Bruce swallowed the foot that found its way into his mouth, and hung his head in light shame at the fact that he'd managed to let slip such a vital tidbit of the operation. In defense, he locked eyes with Alfred and took in a sharp breath,

"Dick doesn't hear of any of this." he warned, waiting for a nod of recognition, before he continued, "But I may have left a few things out..."

XOXOXOXOXOX

So yes, I know that this wasn't a very long chapter, but it was more to answer a few questions I'd received at the end of the last chapter.

Anyway, I'll be sure to update again as soon as I can...but in the mean time, I'd really LOVE some feedback!

I love you guys!


	40. Chapter 40: Priorities

So...after another long wait in between chapters, I FINALLY present you with chapter forty. Hope y'all enjoy.

Please read and review!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

To Kori and Richard's surprise...X wasn't in school that day. Now, at first, the playboy glinted with pride at the thought that he was perhaps the reason for his enemy's absence. But as the teen couple went through a Tuesday, Wednesday, and finally the rest of the week through with absolutely no appearance of the so-called 'scumbag'. In all honesty, the innocent redheaded exchange student hadn't even noticed. But Dick, on the other hand, was trying hard to wrap his head around it.

Even as the two of them were on his motorcycle, on the way back to the glorious mansion, he was still running theories through his head. Part of him was proud, thinking that he was the reason. But there was another part that was suspicious... He would never admit it...he always worded it strange to keep from saying...but he and X were very alike. Their reputations were nearly on the top of their priority lists. He wouldn't put it past X to take a week or two off and than come back with some story about a magical last minute getaway. And the biggest problem with that...he didn't want an alibi like that to mask what had really happened.

"Umm...Richard? Are you okay?" Kori's innocent voice pulled him from his mental loathing, and brought him to see that he had pulled up to the garage, but was sitting in front of it, doing nothing. He scolded himself silently, and momentarily swore X off his mind as he hit the garage door button on his keyring.

"Yeah, Kor, sorry. Got sidetracked." he mumbled, feeling sort of guilty, but trying to laugh it off so she didn't see. She knew him well enough to let it go, and just kind of go with it. And that's how they wound up walking into the house in perfect silence...only to find Bruce leaning against the counter nearest the door, waiting for them.

"Hey kids, how was school?" he asked with the ever familiar tone that nearly made the teen boy cringe with irritation. But naïve Kori just smiled sweetly,

"Fine, thank you." she responded, not catching on to the frustration glinting on Dick's handsome face. He wasn't going to pull up anything if there weren't anything to pull...but he cautiously rose and brow and looked his father over...he could tell there was something on his mind.

"Alright." he replied warily...he didn't like how these scenarios tended to go.

"Did you have any plans tonight?" Bruce asked...Dick smirked bitterly to himself... 'There it is' was the first thing that came to mind. But Kori wasn't as familiar with his tricks, and shook her head cutely,

"Just a movie and popcorn. Why?" she asked.

"Yes, Bruce. Why?" Richard slightly snarled, to express his distaste, but his father seemed to overlook it purposely, as if he knew he were pressing his buttons.

"Because I have a small assignment for you." and as the words rolled off his tongue, Dick's stare turned into an angry grimace. In a heartbeat, he knew what he was referring to. His first instinct was to refuse, because tonight was his only 'guaranteed' night free. But with Kori standing right there, he wanted to at least show false respect.

"I see." he managed, trying to fight the glare that was burning his eyes. Sadly...his attempts went unsuccessfully. His beautiful girlfriend could spot his irritation from a mile away, and leaned toward him a little more, touching his shoulder with the tips of her fingers.

"No worries, Rich...it's Friday. I'll just wait up for you and we can watch it later." she spoke with a relaxing tone...she could see something was up, and knew of his temper when it came to Bruce...so right now, she refused to break the touch until that angered look in his eyes was extinguished. And it was, the instant his eyes met hers. He looked her over for a minute, wanting nothing more than to kiss her, but knowing his mentor was standing right there, the voice of reason in his head sharply advised him to refrain. So he bit down on his urge and nodded,

"What time do you need me to leave?" he asked, blandly. Bruce thought for a moment,

"Twenty minutes or so? That should give you some time to eat something and get ready, right?" but with his question, came the rolling of a pair of icy blue eyes,

"Should I even answer that or is it rhetorical for the sake of being polite?" Richard snapped. Kori looked him over and swallowed,

"Hey, I'm going to get a move on my homework. I'll see you later on tonight." she told him, mostly excusing herself as a matter of being respectful, than wanting to avoid the line of fire. But she knew they didn't really want her getting involved in this part of their lives. Still, with her sweet departing notice, Bruce sternly watched his son to see how he'd react. But as he looked at her, his face was instantly calm and patient,

"Yeah, no problem, Kor." he said with a touch of affection. The tall billionaire rose a brow, slightly impressed with the way responded...but his main focus was waiting on Kori to leave. And once he heard her footsteps make their way up the stairs, he turned to his son about ready to give tonight's instructions, but didn't get the chance, before he was cut off,

"You're really sending me on patrol, Friday night?" Dick snapped, irritating Bruce a little, but getting a stern, emotionless face in response.

"I had a couple of things come up and need to tend to them first." the broad man reasoned, obviously not feeling the need to explain further...which was always something that got under Richard's skin. He always believed that if he were being dragged into something and it was inconveniencing him, than he had a right to know exactly what the reasoning for it was.

"You know Kori and I watch movies every Fri-"

"Don't, Dick. You sound like a child. You took the oath, now honor it. Sort out your priorities." Bruce growled, making him take a step back. A sudden rage swept through Dick and he looked his father over in such a heated gaze, it was surprising that his face didn't melt clear off.

"Kori is my-..." but he stopped as he realized just what he'd said. This time it was Bruce who felt the rage, and grit his teeth furiously.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Now go get ready. End of discussion." he snarled, storming out of the kitchen and shaking his head, trying to weigh out the gravity of just what had been revealed by that statement. Never before had Richard broken any of the vital rules. Stretched them, sure, but this one, he broke in half...nothing comes before their responsibilities. ...though maybe he was overthinking this...he needed to focus on one thing right now...and once his son left...he would get to it.

…

…

…

…

…

For the second time today, Bruce had waited for someone to leave before he could go on with his day...and something about having to keep secrecy within his own home was so unsettling to the billionaire. Though...it had ever only been he, Alfred, and Dick...and they were all involved in the same cause. But this was different...and to be honest, Bruce wasn't even sure how exactly he was going to handle it. But watching his son leave to make his rounds was his cue. He ran his hand through his hair and rose to his feet...here goes nothing...

Moments later, he found himself standing outside his lovely exchange student's room. The door was open, but he was hovering just out of view, trying to work up the nerve to pull such a sensitive topic out of nowhere. What was wrong with him? He spoke publicly for a living! He was a professional! Kori was always so easy to talk to...but she was the last person who you wanted to see upset...and that was likely the biggest obstacle right there. Still, he grit his teeth and figured he'd do this 'like a bandaid'. He was quick to step into her doorway and make his presence known. Now there was no turning back or procrastinating.

"Hi, Bruce. Come in." she told him politely as she sat up and looked at him with a sweet smile. At that moment, a strongly unsettling feeling was swirling around her gut...something told her that this wasn't about to be a pleasant visit from her temporary...caretaker. But either way, she chose to ignore the anxiety and be courteous about this...

"Thank you, Korina." Bruce told her with a smile, as he came slowly into her room and sat down on the very edge of her bed, looking her over calmly. But the silence in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife...and the tension was rising. He knew that his mere disposition was hiding something that she was able to detect. So he swallowed and took a deep breath, sluggishly working his gaze up to meet hers.

"I heard about Ryand'r..." he managed, breaking the ice with a swift spear straight into the heart of the moment. Kori was caught slightly off guard with how quickly that came into light, and froze for a second...but she recovered as soon as she came back to reality, and slowly nodded, looking away.

"I figured they would've put it in his will to have a letter sent to you, as well." she reasoned, slightly surprising Bruce. He'd expected more of a...vulnerability from her. She is, after all, only seventeen. He didn't expect her to be so logical or mature about it. But still, here she was, looking collected and obviously trying to keep emotions out of this-technically-political matter.

"Would you have told me if they hadn't?" he asked, watching her expectantly. She still wouldn't look at him, but her presence of the situation was becoming a little bolder. Finally, she shrugged,

"I hadn't decided yet. It's a lot to process at once, knowing you've suddenly got a long term death sentence." she told him, this time looking up at him and forcing a light smile. She was trying to be humorous about it for the sake of settling his nerves...but he could see right through it, and didn't falter his seriousness even a fraction of an inch.

"We're finding a way to save you, Korina..." he spoke, the instant her eyes made their way to his. The corner of her lips twitched in comfort, but she couldn't find much hope in the words he spoke.

"I appreciate it, Bruce. But you know as well as I do that it's not going to happen." she assured him, not even bothering to humor him in this mindset. She didn't want him to believe something that had no chance of happening. Giving one false hope-especially in a situation as precarious as this one-was probably one of the worst things you could do. But Bruce wasn't going to give up.

"There's always a loophole to find." he pushed, looking her in the eye as if he were trying to force the logic straight into her head. She swallowed and shook her head, looking away once again,

"Tameran doesn't really have a government. One person controls everything. It's hard to find a loophole in a simple command." Bruce couldn't believe his ears...

"How is that possible?" he asked her, trying to think it through. Even absolute monarchies had limitations and assistance. It wasn't all in or nothing. But she was quick to disprove his theory.

"It's a literal **battle** of power. You fight for the crown among the royal family." ...well that answered his first question. Barbaric, but it made sense. Of course, there was another flaw in her explanation...and Kori watched the gears turning in his head, already preparing herself.

"But your sister-"

"They're at war and she was next..._respectfully_ in line." she cut him off...and part of her felt rude for not allowing him to finish his question...but the other part was just trying to convince him that there was no alternative as quickly as she could, so she could go on with her night and push it out of her head.

"You could challenge her for it now, couldn't you?" Bruce suggested. Kori swallowed...she hadn't expected that from him...in truth, she had blocked it completely out as a possibility...so him shining light on it caught her by surprise. Still, she wasn't going to let it show. Instead, she looked away and shrugged again,

"I'm sure...I'm technically war property...but I'm sure I _could_ challenge her. Tameran rule still applies." she was trying to brush off what he had said so it didn't turn into anything...but he was far from letting it go. He didn't want to pry too deeply in a matter this personal, but if was literally a matter of life or death. And that was something he wasn't going to take lightly.

"Korina...if it could save you..." he urged a little further. But this is where she put up a wall and looked away from him.

"No. It would damn my sister. She'd inherit my fate, should I rise victorious." she spoke bitterly. Bruce furrowed his brows, slightly surprised by what she said. Why would she be defending someone who was ruining her country and damning her for selfish reasons? He understood the bond of family, but there was a line to be drawn, and he had figured that what Kori's sister was doing now would cross it.

"Would that be such a bad thing? She's abusing-"

"She's my sister, Bruce. I can't do it." she cut him off, not bothering to shift her gaze from the floor. The billionaire had to admit he respected her loyalty to her family. But he didn't see anything worth her life...politically or otherwise. Even if he _was _a bit bias. He thought for a minute, and waited for her to look back at him,

"And what of you and Dick?" he began, "You know he's unwraveling...growing closer to you. He's not like that with anyone." he knew it was sort of a low place to hit...and he almost regretted it as he saw the conflict rippling across her face.

"I'm still working on that one..." she managed, looking away again, and trying to fight the tears that were forming in her eyes at the thought of hurting him-like she knew she would in the end. Bruce filled with sympathy as he studied her,

"We can find a way-"

"Bruce. I'm grateful for your willingness...but there's...it's no use." she said, trying to sway him to drop it. But the words dripping from her lips were deeply upsetting him.

"Korina..." he began...but he wasn't sure what to say from there. Though she obviously didn't want him to.

"I've accepted my fate, Bruce...I've accepted it." she tried to force a smile for the sake of settling his nerves, but she was almost shaking in fear as thoughts of what would soon happen to her ran through her head. It took a lot of strength to keep from crying...but she knew if she did, Bruce wouldn't let this go. She saw the way he was staring at her, speechless...at a complete loss for words. He almost wanted to pull her into a hug, but figured that would be a tad inappropriate. So he leaned forward and touched her shoulder gently, hoping the contact would come off as comfort, as he had meant it.

"You're too young for something like that. You're such a wonderful young lady." he praised...he wanted to give her hope...make her hold on so they could find a chance to fix this. But she shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Age means nothing on Tameran." her response made Bruce pull his hand away and look at her in disappointment.

"But it does here. I know you've convinced yourself that this is a certainty...but Alfred and I are still going to search for a source of salvation." he reassured her, silently daring her to find a loophole in the fact he'd given her. She was touched...his concern meant a lot of her. But her doubt was overpowering, and she was almost positive that his attempts wouldn't do any good. Though...at this point, she honestly just wanted the conversation to be over with. It was becoming harder and harder to hold herself together.

"I really appreciate that, Bruce...thank you." Kori spoke sweetly, trying to sound convincing. The broad man broke a light smile,

"You're so very welcome, my dear." he said, triggering a half smile from her. Gently-and hesitantly-she leaned in and gave him a small hug. This surprised him, of course, but it was quickly accepted, and returned with the soft hand on her back. They stayed like this for a few seconds, but broke apart soon after, giving Bruce the cue to rise to his feet and make his departure. But he stopped in the doorway, hovered for a moment, and slowly turned to look at her.

"You're like a daughter to me, Korina...you've always got a place here." he spoke honestly...but he'd meant for his statement to give her something to think about, and had disappeared around the corner before she had a chance to react. In stead she sat there, speechless, with her jaw slightly dropped. His words had riddled through her in all the right places to hit each and every one of her nerves. For some reason...the first thing she thought about was Galfore...than Bruce...and than...finally, Richard...

Everything was swirling around her, clashing into one another, and only thickening the cloud of panic and confusion that seemed to trap Kori from every angle. She couldn't take it..she'd never been so scared in her life, and she knew it would only get worse.

But Richard would be back in a matter of hours...and she needed to cleanse herself of the static of her situation. So all she could do at that moment was lay down...and cry.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Well, I'm sure it's not what y'all expected...but hey, it's something, right?

I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can!

Love you guys! Please tell me what you thought!


	41. Chapter 41: Red X

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it's been FOREVER since I've updated. Sorry to say, this story's been just about the last thing on my mind, lately. But I checked my email the other day and saw all the followers, 'favorite's, and reviews...and figured I can't make y'all wait anymore.

So here's the infamous, and painfully long awaited chapter 41:

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

The night was cold and silent, as he crept through the dark streets. It was leaning towards the end of his patrol...midnight was finally drawing near. There was almost nothing keeping him from his beautiful girlfriend, and he was just about guaranteed to have a Saturday night. At first he had been angry that Bruce thrust such last minute. He'd had plans with Kori, and Friday was always the night he was 'allowed' off.

Granted, once the whole 'you took these vows' and 'grow up, this is just one of your responsibilities' routines went through him a few times, he caved and had to agree. He had accepted this title...this duty had become his out of a choice none other than his own. He swore it would take his first priority, and had to abide by that oath. ...even if he personally believed that she was just a little more important to him than this. He'd become banned from the League if that tidbit of information was let loose...and while he had the voice in the back of his head telling him that might not be such a bad thing...he knew he had to be careful treading in such murky waters. For starters, how would that fall back on Bruce? ...no. That's a can of worms best left unopened.

-Clank!-

In a matter of three seconds, Richard tore himself from his mental complications, and he was on the ground level, crouched down, ready to fight. ...until, of course, he saw the little gray cat make its way down the cold alley. He felt slightly humiliated, and rose to his feet, shaking his head, and looking away for a moment. He knew nobody had seen this, but he still couldn't help but feel embarrassed for his amount of effort put into such a false alarm. Maybe it _was_ a good idea for him to get Kori off his mind a little bit. He didn't want to admit it, but he could see the distractions, himself.

Shaking his head, he looked up, muttering something under his breath that equaled the equivalence of scolding himself, and looked back at the cat, smirking at the innocence on the small creature. His mind momentarily wandered to something along the lines of 'Kori would love this kitten...' but he shooed the thought away as soon as he caught a grip of it. One word needed to come to mind, above all else; **focus**.

The night was almost over...he couldn't start slacking now. The sooner he got out of here, the sooner he could go home and be with her.

Patrol...patrol, patrol, patrol... He was drawing a blank. What other areas of this neighborhood had he not covered? Oh well...the last half hour couldn't be that important. So he found himself covering the tracks of the cat, down the alleyway. Maybe it was pointless...but so was patrolling this part of town.

A bite of irony stung him in the back of the neck...how is it that the most vital part of this job could always be the slowest and most seemingly pointless? Keeping watch over the city's streets was what gave the citizens of Gotham sleep soundly at night...and it's the safety net that the whole deal works on. It just rarely seems to pay off... Nothing ever happens. It's all for show. ...but maybe he spoke too soon.

A slight glimpse of movement was caught by his masked eyes, and he froze.

As silently as he could, the young hero snaked through the alley, his back to he wall, and his hands ready to reach into his utility belt. It was probably just a false alarm, knowing he way his nights usually went on patrol. But something in the back of his mind told him to prepare. He didn't know what for...but he just had a sense he should listen. So he crept towards the mysterious movement, preparing himself for a battle...even if he would simply meet a stray dog.

His mind wandered for a moment, and he hoped it wasn't just another drug dealer. That was always a pain in the ass to deal with... First, they would always pull a gun on you-as if they even know how to use it. Than, you disarm them, because none of them know how to fight. Than you cuff em up, call the cops...wait for them to arrive...explain the situation...blah, blah, blah. He knew it was his duty as a hero to follow through with such an event...but it had always been his least favorite to deal with. Lots of waiting, and little action. He almost sighed at the thought, but remembered he was sneaking up on something. Silence is key. Tssk, Richard, tssk. So he placed his focus back on what was right in front of him.

Maybe an aerial view would be best? He was passing a ladder, after all... So up, he went, without so much as a sound...until he was on the roof of the run down carryout, sneaking up to the edge, and looking on at everything below. What had he seen? He scoped the perimeter with a thorough gaze. It was hard to see through the thick shadows, but he street lamps thankfully created a strong enough glow to eliminate complete darkness...and he spotted a figure about a block and a half over from him.

Ah ha...

Thankfully, and as cheesy as it sounds, there were a few boards between the two buildings...and-just like you see in all the movies-he climbed across them, putting himself mere yards away from whoever was standing by the corner. _An old abandoned warehouse...how classic, _he thought as he realized just where he'd found himself. But it made no difference...he his sights in and tried to identify the person...and when he did-or at least thought he did-...he couldn't believe his eyes...

"X?" he muttered under his breath. But with the sound of his voice, 'X' looked up, and locked eyes for a split moment, with the caped crusader. ..._it's him._ Fury boiled up in Richard's blood, and he leaped off the rooftop, towards his enemy. But he didn't even have time to hit the ground, before X began running in the opposite direction. The chase was on.

Normally, you'd think that an alarm would go off in the hero's head... This is a personal matter. You're not Richard Grayson at the moment. But the rage was enveloping every inch of him, and that train of thought had long since crashed and burned. The urge was overwhelming to make him suffer...and he would do just that. Revenge is sweetest when you can get away with it. The fifteen second head start had given X a block of two's distance from his attacker, so Richard had to keep a close eye on the turns he made. He couldn't lose him. He wasn't getting away this time.

The dark boy cut a sharp turn, and Dick followed...X slipped through an alley, Dick was right behind him...but there was a growing distance between them. ...he couldn't deny that the asshole was fast. He tried to speed up...but in a matter of seconds, he lost sight of his target...but that didn't stop him from running. He couldn't have gone far. And he was going to catch up to him, one way or another. There was no escaping the rage building in the hero's bloodstream.

He glanced over his shoulder to see if X had simply ducked behind a corner, but there was no one there. He raced onward, dodging parked cars, mailboxes, street lamps...until he turned another corner, and was met with a strong kick straight to his jaw that sent him falling back. Thankfully, he had momentum built up from running, otherwise he would have been sent a few feet. He was slightly disoriented from the sudden blow, but the adrenaline that pumped through him had him back on his feet and in a fighting stance on sheer reflex.

"Now what would a little bird like you be doing on this side of town?" came a strange, but...somehow familiar voice. Like it was altered or distorted...but that was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He looked the man over for a moment...he was dressed in an odd uniform...black. All black. With a big red X across the chest.

"The name's X. Red X." Nightwing's masked eyes narrowed, and he prepared himself to fight. Red X? As in X Redd? This had to be Xavier. There's no way such a coincidence was unfolding this night. ...but reality was finally kicking in a little bit. He wasn't Richard right now...so he had to play neutral.

"Catchy." he muttered, before lunging forward and attempting to strike a jab into 'Red X's jaw. The villain dodged it almost instantaneously though, and nailed an uppercut straight into the hero's gut, sending him staggering.

"Now that wasn't very nice." X muttered... There was a mask over his face, but Dick could only imagine he was smirking under it. Perhaps it was unwise to so strongly underestimate this new opponent.

"I'm not here for 'nice'." Nightwing growled, before leaping up, grabbing the fire escape ladder, and using it as leverage to swing forth a strong kick. He succeeded, bu not fully. X saw it coming and managed to move his face from the blow, struck in the shoulder instead. He stumbled back a foot or two and watched as the hero dropped down. A chuckled escaped his lips,

"Clearly." ...and it became a fight. Kicks and punches were being hrown every which way...they appeared to be evenly matched, though the pride in Nightwing would never let him admit it. He went to reach for his bo-staff, but Red X threw a knee in his direction, cracking his hand against his belt. He yanked his hand back on reflex, and opened his chest to a hard punch, making him stumble back. Why was he so out of it today? Usually a fight like this wouldn't even pose as a minor challenge. His frustration was building, and he sounded a growl, stepping forward, and beginning a shower of punches.

He managed to nail one straight into X's shoulder, clearly catching him off guard, and making him fall back a step, giving Richard the opportunity for attack...and he took it, mercilessly. Hit after hit, he landed across his enemy's torso...his hands had been blocking his face, otherwise that would've been the first target. For a moment, it appeared that the good guy was winning the battle, but his opponent leaped back and sprung up, grabbing a ladder and hooking onto it, pulling himself up, and beginning to climb. Dick didn't waste any time following, and in a matter of seconds, the two of them were on the roof.

"It's gotta get old, always playing the good guy." X taunted...but he saw right through it, and growled under his breath, and lunged towards him, eagerly ready to continue the fight. To no surprise, his enemy obliged, and they were back to where they started...evenly matched, and sparring as if their lives depended on it.

A few minutes-that seemed like an eternity-passed, and neither of them were making any headway...until the image popped into his head of X snaking Kori's pants off and climbing on top of her. The distraction caught him off guard, and seemed to come out of no where...but Red X took full advantage of it, and landed a strong kick into his stomach, pushing him back ward. Slightly disorientated, the hero tried to block the next oncoming attack...but it wasn't an attack. The next thing he noticed, his utility belt was in the hands of his enemy.

It didn't matter, he decided. He could fight without weapons...he was trained a thousand times over on how to kill someone with his bare hands. This was no exception. So for a moment, the fight persued...until Richard miscalculated his footing, and found himself tripping over the railing of the roof and falling backward. He caught himself, of course, on a window sill a couple feet down, and was quick to catapult himself right back up...but once he gathered his footing and regained his fighting stance...he came to find that X was gone...disappeared.

Surely, this must be trickery... He can't have just vanished. It was a trap. It had to be.

Nightwing lowered his hands and tried not to look like a total idiot, circling the rooftop, looking for his opponent... But he was no where to be found. He glanced under the edging to see if he were hanging off, waiting for him to lower his guard. He looked around the neighboring alleys...he circled again...and again...and again. He was gone...just gone.

He was dumbfounded, standing there on the rooftop, staring vaguely into the night... That was Xavier...wasn't it? ..._of course it was, how could you not connect the dots? Xavier Redd? Red X? _But it didn't make sense. X was just a rich boy/playboy...a soft and mushy attention whore. All show. There was no way he was capable of...the fighting...the speed...there was no way. _The voice? How do you explain that? _Perhaps it was a trick of the mind...Xavier had been on his mind before he ran into Red-X. _You saw Xavier standing at the corner. Xavier. Not Red X. Xavier. _….his head was spinning. X was never able to fight worth anything in school.

But the sudden sounds of sirens screeching in the near distance cut off his tornado of thought, and forced him back to reality. Who had called the cops? This area is almost always abandoned at this time of night. ...but it didn't matter. What he needed now, was to face the press and drama with the police Explain the chaos...tell them what happened. But than he was going straight home. ...because he _needed_ to see Kori.

XOXOXOXOXOX

TERRIBLE, I know...I just...blah, I can't write fight scenes. And It's 2 in the morning where I am. I just felt bad and knew I needed to update. No worries...I'll DEFINITELY try keeping a better watch on how much time goes by in between my chapters.

I love you guys! Thanks for sticking with me!


	42. Chapter 42: Clued Me In

Another chapter? So soon? Can it be? I say yes! Figured with the ick-ness of my last chapter, I owed y'all a quick update. Maybe the gears are gonna start rolling in the story? Lol...anyways, hope ya enjoy!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

_The sound of that heavy sigh slipping through his lips was enough to rocket a chill up her back as she caressed his bare chest. Her main focus was on the exposed skin pressed up against her...all she could make out were glimpses of flesh...sighs and other sounds of passion exerted themselves, and she felt as though she were being wrapped in a cloud of euphoria. He breathed her name and ran his stubble-y face across her neck, making her groan at the gentle scratches. Gently she clawed at the small of his back, making him tense and-_

Kori's eyes fluttered open, and she found her face buried in her calculus book. Confusion bubbled in her beautiful green eyes, and she sat up to examine her surroundings. What in X'hal was she dreaming about? Or...more reasonably, what in the world was that doing in her head? Lightly scolding herself, she closed her heavy book and glanced over at the clock. 11:35...Richard had been gone a while. She wondered if he were home yet. Something told her no...he likely would've left a small note or curled up next to her if he were. Something cute, as was his routine. He wasn't here...she was near certain. But there was a light bubble of doubt that shifted its position to the front of her mind.

"X'hal, Kori, quit worrying." she muttered under her breath, as she scoot to the edge of her bed and rested her chin on her folded knuckles. She knew she wasn't about to go back to sleep...the personal race her mind was playing host to was sure not to allow that to happen. So she found herself on her feet, her empty mug in hand, heading down to the living room to find something to occupy her wandering thoughts.

There was no sound other than the light sliding of her socked feet as she made her way down the empty hallway. She kind of liked the silence, unsettling as it was. She hated being able to hear every minute thing that went on around her...but at the same time, she loved that it made her aware of whatever was happening. It was a strange way of looking at the night time...but she quickly decided that it was a waste of time to dwell on such random mental explorations, and shook the thought and walked into the vacant kitchen.

The next thirty seconds were spent on the small debate on whether she wanted tea or coffee, but she soon made her decision, and began setting up the coffee pot in the silence of the night. A light spiral of pondering spun around her as she began plotting what she would do once her caffeine was finished brewing. She knew it'd likely involve the living room, so that she was easily accessed when Richard finally _did_ make his way home. But what would she do? Put in a cd...read a book...watch tv? It didn't matter, truth be told. Her mind would wander and keep her more than occupied.

-Beep Beep Beep-

The coffee pot told her to stop leaning on the counter and cease staring into space as she hopelessly had been. A sigh slipped through her lips and she snapped herself out of her trance, mixed up the perfect concoction, and made her way to the couch, remote in hand. She figured that channel flipping would do the best job as capturing her attention, and began doing just that...turned the big screen on and began flirting with the channel button. After a moment, she found herself on 'Ghost Adventures' and decided to linger there for a while...but it wasn't long before she got lost once again, in her own thoughts.

The beautiful redhead climbed onto the couch with a hot cup of coffee in one hand, and a bowl of fresh popcorn in the other. Glancing at the clock again, she saw that it was near midnight. She tried not to wonder where he was. Instead she turned her attention back to the big screen and watched the night-vision looking picture. That was always something that had fascinated her...even though her home didn't really explore the afterlife...she'd always had her own theories and beliefs in her head.

_X'hal, years of captivity will give you much to think about_. She thought for a moment, before catching herself and quickly shaking such thoughts from her head. Now wasn't the time to flirt with ghosts from her past. Now was the time to 'flirt' with the ghosts on tv...and await the return of her handsome boyfriend. ...she hoped it's be just about any minute now.

The episode came to a close, and she tried not to glance at the clock as she released a cute yawn, and snuggled into her blanket. Part of her wanted to get up and heat her coffee up, but the other part of her was just too tired to move. So she took the remote into her grasp and began dancing her thumb along the channel button. Adult Swim? She paused for a moment, and allowed herself a moment's debate. Did she want to watch this? ...no. She just wasn't in the mood right now. So she turned it...the news. Good enough.

Another yawn slipped through her mouth, and she shook her head of the drowsiness trying to invade. Her focus wasn't even on the tv anymore...it was on staying awake. Just a little longer...she could do it. It was all a trick of the mind, after all. But her eyelids were seemingly growing heavier and heavier...until she thought she heard footsteps in the doorway, and looked up to see her handsome boyfriend standing beside the couch wearing a wide grin. She smiled back at him and watched him lean down as he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek,

"Still up, I see?" he spoke with warmth that sent a shiver down her spine. She looked him over with a glint in her eyes, scooting over for him to lay beside her. He did, of course, and wrapped his arm around her. It felt so good to have her in his arms, and settled the nerves that were bubbling up from his previous suspected encounter with Xavier. He hugged her tight, and kissed her face once more. She just smirked,

"Only for you." she said...he grinned, and glanced at the rv to see what she'd been using as an occupant of her time.

"Anything interesting happening in the world?" he asked, sarcastically. Her naivity, of course, prohibited her from picking it up, and she shrugged,

"Wouldn't know...just turned it on." her response made him laugh. He loved the way she wasn't accustomed to all America's tricks...but proceeded to watch it with her...until the scuff from earlier came on. Than he felt like slamming his face into a wall. Already? Jeez, the press just doesn't let up.

"_And Gotham's caped crusader, Nightwing, saved the day once again..."_ Blah, blah, blah. He tuned it out and looked Kori over, noticing her fascination as the hero on screen talked to the police. _Oh boy, here we go...yet another crush on the masked man._ He thought to himself. But it didn't matter...he was used to it. And the idea of her liking both sides of him stroked his ego even more. Though...she _was_ his girlfriend. So he decided he had to poke fun where it was due.

"Don't get any ideas, now." he warned, playfully. The redhead rolled her eyes and looked him over with a raised brow and a devilish smirk.

"Don't worry, I won't." she cooed, leaning in close, and pressing her lips to his for a 'not-so-short' but sweet kiss. He grinned and kissed her back, cupping her face with his hand, and pulling her just a little bit closer. Kori's face got hot with the contact, and she released a small laugh, that proved contagious, as Richard found himself chuckling too. They stopped for a moment and just looked each other over, as if they were in a scene from a cheesy movie...but she soon decided that the stare needed to be interrupted with a little humor, and elbowed him lightly in the side,

"He's not even that good-looking, anyway." she teased, making the playboy pause and look at her.

"What?" he asked, trying to comprehend what she was saying. Should he be insulted? She didn't find him good-looking? How did that work? She was in a relationship with him... Unless she was just saying that to make him feel better. But still, it was a rather odd comment to hear. Maybe "you're way better looking" he could expect...but...saying his alter-ego was unattractive? How does that work? ...she could see the trouble in his eyes, and smirked coily, touching the side of his face, and rubbing his cheek with her thumb,

"Richard...your eyes are so beautiful..." she began, pulling a grin from his temporarily frowning lips. She was quick to meet his eyes, and kiss him gently, before pulling away, "And you cover them with that mask." she finished, making him freeze in disbelief.

"Wh-what?" had...had he heard her correctly? He'd...never led on anything for her to catch on to...there's...there's no way she could...what? No...he couldn't have heard her right. ...he played her words through his head over and over again, trying to see if it sounded like something else. Maybe... 'and he covers his with that mask' ...but he knew in his gut; that wasn't what she said to him. But after a few minutes of bubbling that small war in his head, he looked back at her to find her watching him intently, with a smile on her beautiful face,

"You really think I didn't know?" she asked, cockily. The first thing he wanted to say was 'Well, yeah." but than his second instinct was to play dumb and act like she was wrong. ...but the truth in her eyes was undeniable...and he was sure it was the same case for his. So he swallowed and furrowed his brows, suddenly feeling exposed,

"...how?" he managed, knowing he sounded a little more desperate for answers than he wanted to. She thought of telling him the way she could always read his eyes' true intents when he lied to her...but figured that was best left unsaid. Instead, she smiled and chose the more light-mooded route,

"You don't exactly hide it well, if you pay attention." she started, waiting to see his reaction. He seemed almost worried as she said that...he was likely thinking 'if my naïve girlfriend can figure it out, who else can?' so she rolled her eyes and smirked as she nudged him, "That, and the 'joker-buinessmen' thing clued me in." and with that, he sort of laughed.

"Yeah, I guess that would help." he forced the comment out, even though his mind was going a mile a minute with concerns and questions. This was a huge deal to him...nobody had ever known the secret behind his mask... He'd been doing this for years, and never messed up. Never let anything slip. Never got to close to anyone. He was never careless with his cover stories or...or anything, really. How...what was going to happen? He couldn't even count the number of bad scenarios running through his head. He...he wanted to say he could trust her...but...she's a girl. And maybe he sounded like an asshole, but girls like to gossip big secrets to their best friends. ...what if...no. She wouldn't do that...she...gah, what did this mean? -but Kori was quick to touch his face gently, and pull him back to reality for the moment, looking him over with a sweet and unearthly comforting smile,

"Your secret's safe with me, babe...you don't have to worry." she told him, as if she'd been reading his mind. And...for some reason...that's all it took to settle every one of his nerves. He looked her over thoroughly, studying her face as closely as he knew how...and all his doubt just vanished. He could trust her. He didn't know what it was that made his so sure that he could...but...he trusted her with everything he had. ...this was the first time...ever in his life...that he didn't have to hold back.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...kinda short. But indeed, eventful, yes? Lemme know what y'all thought! Hopefully it wasn't too disappointing.

I love you guys!

Please review :]


	43. Chapter 43: Sweet As Me?

Howdy, folks. Been a while, I know, I know. But a new chapter alas. Hopefully not too disappointing...but a promising prelude, I hope.

Please read and review...and enjoy:)

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Pacing aimlessly around his study, Richard released a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his usually spiked hair. He glanced at the clock, even though he'd done so every minute or two for the past couple hours, as if a nervous habit. 3:32...and he'd come up with nothing feasible in his head. Events from earlier circled his mind like a hungry vulture refusing to settle. He found himself unable to make any sense of the turn of events... There was just no way his initial suspicion was reality. He refused to accept that.

_Not Xavier...there's no way it's Xavier._ But something...nothing he could put his finger on...but something told him that there was a way. ...something. Curse that something. Even though he hated being wrong, he had the slightest wish in the back of his head that it was just his ego jumping to conclusions. An odd thing to wish for, if you knew him at all. But...the best expectation he had going for him at that direct moment.

How could he have let this happen? He was supposed to be on top of these things. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. He knew how slippery X was. He knew how many alarms went off in his head when he saw him. He just...figured it was high school hatred. Had deemed Redd distasteful, but harmless. ...grr, he had to stop this. When he had such little to go on, letting it linger in his head was only going to worsen the matter. ...but deep down, he knew it wasn't 'so little to go on'. The potential evidence was overwhelming. It was his indecisive nature. Which would he rather?

If it _were_ X, than he had an advantage. A way to track him. A way to get in his head. Shouldn't that be a good thing, instead of such an unsettling option? Why did it eat at him so? That, he couldn't answer. He hoped it was just pride. The secret envy that now, he wasn't the only person in high school with a dual identity. He didn't see himself that petty. But...for the sake of settling his nerves, he decided to allow himself to comfort of being immature.

There was a sudden knock at his door, pulling him from his trance of concentration. He tried not to tense in irritation as he turned to face, who he expected to be Bruce...but was met instead with a pair of beautiful jade eyes that instantly soothed him. Kori was standing there, wearing one of his large t-shirts. He almost wanted to guess if she was wearing shorts or not, but wouldn't know due to her robe tied loosely around her. Her hair was slightly a mess, but for some reason, that added to her beauty at this moment. His first instinct was to grin and gratefully take her into his arms, giving a thanks for rescuing him from his thoughts. But another question surfaced in his mind, making him look her over curiously,

"What are you doing up?" he asked. The gentle rumble in his voice suggested he was tired, but Kori chose not to notice. She could see the look on his face that there was a lot more to do before he turned in for the night. At least, that's what she'd learned over the months of living with him. She almost felt guilty for disturbing him, as she began fidgeting with her fingers,

"I couldn't sleep. I was going downstairs, but than I saw your light on." she spoke, looking up at him sheepishly, and hoping she hadn't imposed...though he would never admit if she had or not. His face softened at her response, and he looked her over again, trying to study the reality behind her words. He knew her well too, and for the sake of sparing him the worry, she likely deluded her explanation.

"Everything okay, babe?" he asked with a sincerity that made her fight an oncoming smile. Instead, she decided to keep a more optimistic tone,

"I could ask you the same question." she asked with a hint of sarcasm, though there was a seriousness in her words. Richard couldn't help but smirk, loving the way she always graced him with her whit.

"Just lots of business issues need to be assessed." he said. Lame, but he knew she'd understand. Which she did. The glint in her eyes expressed her acknowledgment, and her face went serious for a moment,

"Business? Or..._**business**_?" she asked, testing the waters a bit with her knowledge of him. He swallowed...now that she knew, what would it hurt to be honest with her? It's not like she wasn't trustworthy.

"The lather." he managed, before she nodded, obviously not expecting more information than that. "But what's the matter with you?" he asked, grateful that she was willing to drop the previous subject so vaguely. She ran his question through her head and gave a light shrug,

"Nothing really. Like I said, couldn't sleep. Keep having..." she trails off and glances at him, deciding to bite her tongue, "_Weird _dreams." she finished, crossing her fingers that he wouldn't press further into the subject. He furrowed his brows in confusion, but chose to let it lie.

"Am I interrupting anything, though? I can go downstairs." she told him innocently, giving him the guilt-free option to return to his work in peace. He considered it for a minute, but it was clear he needed a break from himself. Besides, there was something else unsettled about this evening.

"No, you're fine. The way I see it, there's a reason you came to my room." he smoke through a twitch of a grin. Kori just rolled her eyes. She knew he was just trying to make conversation, guessing at further motives on her part. But it was something to say...

"I already told you. But since you're apparently so good at reading my mind, there is actually something I wanted to ask you." she told him, remembering that she'd forgot to bring this up earlier, and it seemed like a good excuse to come see him. He seemed amused by this and rose a brow at her playfully,

"Oh?" he asked, making her smile,

"Rachel has a date this weekend." she began, waiting to see his reaction. His eyes slightly widened, and he ran her words through his head a second time, not sure if he'd heard her right. That's by no means what he expected to hear.

"O-Oh?" he said again, this time involuntary.

"She wanted to come over to have me help get her ready." the beautiful redhead finished, sort of hinting on whether or not he was alright with her coming over. He grinned, trying not to laugh, since this is the first time he'd ever heard anything of the usually dark girl doing anything 'girlie'. But amusement, aside, her expectant look forced a warmth onto his face as he acknowledged just how cute it seemed for her to ask permission for something so simple.

"Kor, you live here too. You don't have to _ask_ for your friends to come over." Dick stated, watching curiously for her reaction. She looked down for a moment, and than glanced up to look him over,

"I just didn't want to inconvenience you." she explained herself, making him grin as the blush faintly began to show on her tan cheeks. At this point, he couldn't resist the urge to walk towards her and pull her into a light embrace, looking her over closely, making her blush even more at the proximity of their faces.

"You're more than welcome to invite her." he told her finally, after what seemed like half an hour of silence. A beautiful smile appeared across Kori's face, sounding a chuckle from her boyfriend. She stole a quick glance at his lips, accidentally letting slip her temptation, which...Richard was more than happy to oblige, of course, realizing just how bad he'd wanted the same thing.

Gently, he leaned down, taking her face in his hand, and pulling her into him to touch his lips to hers. She smiled and returned the gesture, pushing a little more of her weight into him, as he pulled her tighter. He swooped another in before their mouths had a chance to part, making her laugh in amusement. This time, there was no continuation. Just an extremely delayed 'until next time' between their matching warm smiles.

"Now what about these dreams? More nightmares?" he inquired as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. But with his question, she swallowed the already forming lump in her throat, and looked at him hesitantly. It took her a moment before she found the mental consciousness to shake her head, after the moment of silence.

"Than wha-"

"Not really a bad dream. Just...weird." she told him, sharply cutting his words before he had the chance to develop a source of worry...even though she knew it was likely a little too late for that. Curiosity bubbled in his head, and he rose a brow, looking her over,

"How so?" he asked. For a moment, she weighed in her head whether or not she should tell him about the oddity of her dreams. She knew without question that it wasn't a matter of trust. He'd take it professionally, no doubt. But it was more...she wasn't entirely comfortable talking about something like that. It was more or less, embarrassing that she would be dreaming of something along those lines...

"Just...I don't know." she managed, trusting he would pick up on what she was really trying to say. He looked at her cautiously,

"Yes you do. But if you don't want to tell me, that's okay." he made sure her eyes were on his as he said this. He was fully aware of how much emotion she picked up from him this way. She did, of course. And the appreciation radiated off her face,

"They're not bad dreams. Just awkward, I guess. But it's alright. Nothing for you to worry about. Thank you, though." she told him, grateful that he'd let it go. Still, she hoped she could settle his thoughts a little. He hated not knowing things. Anyone whose known him for more than five minutes could tell you this about him. It wasn't confidential information. But he also trusted she would talk to him if there was something bothersome going on. So he quickly let the subject drop.

"Well, you know the drill by now. You need to talk, my room's...right here." he grinned at her as he finished his statement of 'comfort' and watched as a slight laugh slipped from her lips. He couldn't place his finger on what it was that made him incapable of taking his eyes off her...but he couldn't look away if his life depended on it. ...til something rang in his head,

"While I have you here...there's something I forgot to ask you about earlier." he began, instantly relieved that he hadn't waited until the last minute-which is what he usually did-to bring this up to her. But she was drizzled with confusion, and looked at him with her head cocked slightly sideways...as if that would somehow help her understand a little bit better.

"What do you mean?" she inquired. The corner of Dick's lips twitched in a half smile,

"Nothing bad. Just...Bruce told me this morning that there's a fundraiser going on for the cooperation." he began, watching her light up with her usual enthusiasm.

"Oh, that's great!" she exclaimed. But he held back on getting too excited, making her wonder what kind of thing this was. Isn't a fundraiser a good thing? She wasn't sure why he didn't seem as expectant as she did.

"Well, it's...kind of like a formal party, more than anything. Rich folk dressing up, and talking business over dinner." he explained, making her laugh in the cliché idea of seeing her boyfriend stuck in a room of snobby people talking politics.

"Sounds like loads of fun." she told him, sarcastically. Richard was amused by her amusement, but not done with his mini interrogation, so he just rubbed the back of his neck and nodded,

"It's...well...I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to be there with me." he asked, almost sheepishly. Kori couldn't help but smirk...she loved how he already had her as his girlfriend...something she strictly refused the first several months she was here, mind you...and he was acting nervous upon asking her on a 'date'.

"To share in the boring politics? How could I miss an opportunity like that?" she asked, unable to resist the urge to tease him a little about it. Richard released a light chuckle,

"It's less miserable if you're with someone you can stand." he reasoned...and he was aware that this was probably part of her reasoning for accepting.

"Well, lucky you can tolerate me, huh?" she joked, triggering another grin from the playb-sorry. _Former _playboy. "But...there's a problem." she cut him off before he got too amused in the situation. A twitched from his brow expressed the light confusion that quickly danced across his features,

"What?" she shrugged,

"I've got nothing like that to wear..." she began...though she knew it was a lie. There was her old wedding dress, from her attempted betrothal. But she just couldn't bring herself to wear it.

"We'll take you shopping tomorrow morning." Richard told her, placing a kiss on her cheek. She thought about it for a moment... She had money. So he wouldn't have to pay for anything-which was what made her most uncomfortable with the idea of shopping with him. She just didn't really like the mall...and that's the only place she could think of to get the ideal wear, likely required for such an event. But that's when his words echoed in her head. '_It's less miserable if you're with someone you can stand_'. Her smile returned,

"I can recruit Rachel. She owes me for this Friday anyway." with the 'victory' in Kori's voice, Dick couldn't help but laugh.

"Revenge is sweet, eh?"he asked. She just stepped in closer and pressed herself into him,

"Sweeter than me?" she asked, jokingly. He grinned,

"I wouldn't that far, babe." he said with a kiss. "I would not go that far."

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

So what did y'all think? A little plain, I know. But...a prelude, at least! Lol

Just wanted to remind you that I love you guys, and I'll update asap:)


	44. Chapter 44: The Dress

Yes...a long time to update...AGAIN. My excuse this time? I just moved to Texas from Ohio last week...been a little busy.

BUT, without further ado, I give you...chapter 44:)

Please read and review!

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Come on, Kor...it's just a stupid work party. You don't have to look like a celebrity." Rachel groaned, as they were nearing their two-hour mark in the mall. They'd been through perhaps a dozen stores, and none of them seemed to have what she was looking for. Not to say Kori was really enjoying herself either. She wasn't much of a mall person. Too many people...or...too many _fake_ people. Everything was about image. It wasn't really her thing. But this was the first time Richard was taking her to something that was important for him...so she was determined to play the part, and than some.

"I just want to keep from embarrassing Richard. He said it was formal. So...I need to find formal without going all 'prom queen' on everybody." the redhead tried to reason with her friend. Rachel, of course, wouldn't really allow herself to acknowledge the logic in this. She just wanted out of the mall, and Kori could see it. In fact, it was so evident, she decided against pointing out that her celebrity comment was invalid due to Dick's literal fame status. It was better to sweep that under the rug, and let her friend pout.

"Well, what about that one?" Rachel said with a heavy sigh as she gestured over to a bridal shop. The redhead's eyes widened and shock danced flauntingly across her face. For a moment she considered the possibility that her best friend was temporarily insane,

"A wedding dress?" she managed, after catching herself staring wide-eyed. The gothic looking girl rolled her eyes and shrugged,

"I was thinking a bridesmaid style dress." she said simply. Kori thought about this for a moment...she wasn't even sure what the term 'bridesmaid' meant...but if it was something her friend was honestly suggesting, than what harm would it do her to give it a little bit of exploration?

"If it'll get us out of here faster, why not?" and with that, they found themselves in a very fancy (_expensive_) looking store. For a moment, Kori forgot about her whole 'hating the mall' disposition, and became mesmerized by all the sparkling gowns around her.

"What about this one?" Rachel asked, holding out a pretty green dress with lace all around the edges. The redhead's nose crinkled up and she began to shake her head as she pictured herself wearing it,

"It looks like it would be too poofy." she excused herself with a slight shake of the head. Meeting her forehead with her palm, a sigh escaped Kori's tired-looking companion, and her purple eyes searched around hopefully for a quick solution.

"What about that?" she asked, pointing to a bright red cocktail-looking dress.

"Too short." and it was than that the redhead had given her dark friend enough frustration to grab onto her shirt and yank her forward,

"I swear, Kori, pick something!" she snapped. Kori just tolled her eyes and looked around,

"You can't rush greatness, Rae." with a fake puff of her chest, and a sarcastic tone, she strolled over to another line of dresses. Her jade colored gaze studied a specific shelf, until one in particular caught her eye. While she stood there, looking it over in mesmerization, Rachel sat on a bench a few feet away, folding her arms and slightly pouting at her current predicament. Of course...it took a mere fifteen or so seconds before the redhead took her dress off the hook and held it up,

"Never mind...I think I've got just the right one." a slow smile scraped across Rae's face.

"Told ya this store was a good idea." and with that, Kori couldn't help but smirk,

"Yeah, yeah. Let's check out and get out of here." Rachel grinned,

"You don't have to tell me twice."

-BACK AT THE MANSION-

Kori stepped out of her closet and closed the door behind her, successfully changed into sweat pants, and ready to relax with her friend. A heavy sigh simultaneously sounded from the two girls as they sat on her bed with relief. Their two and half hour escapade at the mall left them both feeling like they'd had a long hard day. It went unspoken, but the appreciation beamed off the redhead's face,

"Phew...hard part of the day all done. Now what do you want to do?" she asked with a bubbly smile.

"You mean I'm stuck hanging with you _all day_?" Rachel's sarcastic drone made her friend laugh, and elbow her in the arm,

"Guess so." she said with a smile. The dark girl smirked, to herself more than anything, as she made a mental enlightenment that no one else in the world-save maybe Gar, though he often got on her nerves-could kid around with her and get away with it. But it had been decided that this wasn't anything worth mentioning, so she focused more at the small task at hand of what to do...until a coy idea slipped into her head...why not be productive?

"Well how about a game of 20 questions? There are a few things I'm curious about." but with this, Kori's eyes narrowed in slight suspicion. She had a sudden urge to avoid this entirely, because she had a pretty good intuition on what these 'questions' would be about...but why give cause for concern? Just play along...that's it. Just play along...

"Alright." she pushed her approval,

"What's it like in Egypt?" bingo. Just as she thought. The redhead swallowed...she knew exactly where this was going, and felt herself tense up almost immediately. Her friend was smart...all the little inconsistancies...tidbits of stories that didn't add up...detail that didn't quite make sense...Rachel was sure to pick up on them. Meaning she was working her way into digging into it. And this was a conversation she really didn't want to have.

"Hot." she muttered, trying not to appear too bitter. But with this, she recieved a cocked brow,

"Is that so?" Kori's teeth clenched.

"What do you really want to know? You can skip the small talk, if you want to spare the effort." she snapped, sounding a little colder than she'd intended to, but it was accepted with no hard feelings. At this point, they knew each other well enough to appreciate one another's mental junctures.

"Pretty pointless trying to dance logic a way around you, huh?" K smiles "What are you doing here? I mean, I'm glad you're here. But...of all places...from Egypt, why Gotham?" well, cat's out of the bag now, it seems...maybe a little playing dumb was in order.

"I don't understand." Rachel's face flattened,

"Why not...San Francisco? Or New York City? Austin? Nashville? A bigger, more popular city. I thought exchange students were supposed to go to well known cities, or something." with elaboration, Kori could feel her guard hoisting itself up. Time to at least _try_ to dance around it...though she was almost certain she'd get caught in the act.

"Rae? Saying 'or something'? I may faint." nope. The look on her friend's face suggested that her attempt had crashed and burned.

"That doesn't answer my question." Kori shrugged.

"Gotham's pretty well known."

"Not like the others. Quit dancing around my question." Rachel's words were sharp and demanding...

"It's...a long story." she mumbled, partially under her breath, but loud enough to be heard. Kori's friend seemed a little frustrated with the way she was avoiding the directness that was being put in her face, but could detect discomfort in the air. She sighed and decided to give a little bit of a push,

"Is that code for 'I don't want to tell you'? Because you know I've got time." their eyes met for a moment, before the green gaze averted,

"It's not so much I don't want to tell you...as...I'm not sure it's a good idea that I do." Rachel's thin brows furrowed in confusion,

"I'm confused. Are you running from something? That doesn't explain why Gotham was your choice."

"I didn't choose where I went. Gotham just seemd most appropriate." the dark girl almost grit her teeth. She didn't understand why this question was so important to avoid...it seemed so simple.

"You avoiding my first question kind of hints me in that my suspicions are accurate. What are you running from?"

"Well technically, the Gotham comment detu-"

"**Kori.**" she snapped in a strict warning. Kori sighed and looked down, feeling almost...exposed with this information coming to light. She felt like shivering.

"Not so much running...as...temporarily escaping." she realized it was kind of lame...but she wanted the next question. Get this over with. Just don't ask what.

"What? Any why Gotham?" there we go...

"I can't tell you what." disappointment danced across Rachel's face. '_Come on, Kori...give me more to work with than that.'_

"Why?" but with this question, Kori swallowed,

"I just...please? It's really...I guess confidential." With that, Rachel relaxed a little bit. She felt almost guilty as she noticed the stress dripping from her friend...but the curiosity was getting the better of her. She needed to know more...there was no getting around _that_.

"...why Gotham, than?" she asked, willing to let the first question slide. Kori accepted the ellimination of the initial inquiry.

"Wayne Enterprises." but with the rolling of her friend's purple eyes, the redhead braced herself,

"Please don't tell me you're doing some sort of heist or thievery from Bruce Wayne." Kori frowned,

"Really, Rae? That's your first assumption?" her friend's hand's flew up in defense.

"Well...the way you said it... Why Wayne Enterprises?" fair enough... But the conflict in her head was like static electricity...

"It's...connected to a lot of places and people. And is...also like...a sanctuary." but with this word choice, Kori immediately regret it.

"...you really won't tell me what you're running from?" Rachel asked again, trying not to press too hard; but this was killing her on the inside, not knowing something. Especially when this seemed more and more dire the keeper they went into it. But Kori needed to give this a step back. Her life was something that needed to remain secret. Something that was between only she and Bruce. ...and even than...there were some things that even _he_ couldn't know.

"Rachel." she warned. The dark girl's face glinted with more disappointment, but she proceeded to follow the rules that had been unofficially established.

"Does Bruce know about this?"

"Of course. It's his choice to have me here." Rachel furrowed her brows,

"What?"

"Please...just...just about any other question? I can't go far into this...it's complicated and precarious." the seriousness on her friend's usually bubbly and carefree face made her stop. ...she looked her in the eye for a moment, and really read the depth she was feeling. The seriousness sank in...alright. ...she could respect that. Even if she didn't want to.

"You know how much I hate not knowing things like this. But...I guess I can't really pry something that shouldn't open." ...and with this, Kori sighed in relief.

"Thank you..." Rachel nodded, but stopped for a moment,

"Can I ask you something else, though?"

"You will anyway." ...yeah, that was probably true.

"What happens when you go back? Or are you?" The bitterness on the redhead's face glinted faintly, but she tried to keep it mild and laid back,

"I am. And it'll probably have blown over by than." she explained. And...part of her was lying. Even though the truth in what she was saying was evident, the fear could be picked up from a mile away.

"You better come back to visit." her friend said slightly joking, slightly serious.

"Sure thing." the doubt she was trying to hide was easy to catch, but both girls could tell it was time to switch the subject. For a moment, Rachel regretted bringing it up at all...but now that she had, all she wanted was more answers. Things didn't add up...there was something deeper than her original endeavor which she hadn't expected to uncover.

"Or maybe we can come visit you too." Kori smirked, and tried to avoid the sinking feeling of that idea.

"Thought you were don't prying." she quickly averted the topic.

"Had to try." and whilst she rolled her eyes, the redhead turned slightly serious,

"It's dangerous information, Rachel. I highly recomment you let it go, okay? Nothing about it is good. I know you're curious. But...it's a big can of worms that I want as few people to open as possible." and with that, Rachel's face dropped all the jokes. She looked her best friend's eyes over again and again, until she swallowed. Fine...maybe she'd just drop it now...bring it up another time if it seemed like a good idea. But for now...let it be what it may.

"Fine...but...are you okay?" she asked, just trying to settle her mind from wandering. Kori looked her over thankfully and gave a light shrug,

"Sure, why not?" and with that, and a small forced smile, Rachel nodded, and let the silence sink in for a moment...quickly followed by guilt.

"I'm sorry." she muttered, looking away. Kori just swallowed,

"No need. It's fine." and with that she shook her head. Rae thought about saying something else for a minute, but quickly decided against it. Kori noticed the conflict on her friend's face,

"Any idea where you and Gar are going for your date?" she asked her friend, obviously trying to bring a little light to the moment. A smirk flashed on Rachel' usually gloomy face,

"Way to change the subject, Kor." she teased, knowing what her intentions had been, but deciding it was a good time to give her a little trouble for it.

"Someone had to." Kori shrugged.

"True enough." and the silence began sinking back into the room. After a good thirty seconds had passed with no words between the two, the tall redhead rose to her feet and nodded to the door,

"Come on...let's go watch a movie."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

So...alright, a little sloppy, but just kinda putting a little angst in here. Stories starting to turn some pages, I hope. Anyone curious to see what happens to Kori?

Keep reading and find out:)

Please review. Tell me what you thought.


	45. Chapter 45: Further Investigation

Alrighty, so...just to clear everything up, Rachel and Gar's date is coming up this weekend, as it Richard's fundraiser. I know that seemed kinda confusing. But here we are...new chapter. A little more clarity. Hope y'all like this chapter:)

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOX

It was Monday. Everybody hates Monday. The start of a new school week...makes the weekend seem so far away...everyone's tired... But this Monday was half over, and our favorite high school couple was walking down the hall, hand-in-hand, towards lunch. The day had been going pretty well...quiet...uneventful. But it seemed to be moving at a decent pace.

Kori had been wearing a strong smile, even though her nerves were skipping rope in her stomach. She had a couple things to look forward to this week. Richard's dinner party. Rachel and Gar's first date. But it took a strong mental bat to beat down the resurfacing thoughts and inquiries of...just how many more 'weeks' she was going to have here. Amazing how a single letter from home can change your whole disposition on things.

Realizing that she was allowing her mind to wander, the redheaded girl looked around the halls, trying to make eye contact with someone passing by, just to acknowledge her surroundings. She noticed Karen Beecher, Victor's girlfriend, who offered her a slight wave. She smiles sweetly and returned the gesture, before something else caught her eye. It was Rachel, heading for the library.

Usually, this wasn't a big deal. Rachel hated the crowds of lunch and often went to study hall-or, said library-and just ate at another time. But something about this was different. She seemed almost as if...there was an unjust motive behind her sullen steps. Something...that really made her look like she didn't want to be followed. Something that Kori would usually respect. But a sense in the back of her mind told her that this really wasn't the time to do that.

Gently, she tugged on Richard's sleeve, and waited for his eyes to meet hers,

"Hey, I'll meet you down there. I've got to go down to the library real quick." a half surprised-half confused smiled brushed his features as he looked at her,

"Okay? Want me to go with you?" he offered politely. She tried not a appreciate his gesture too strongly, and shrugged,

"No, just need to print something out for history. Forgot to earlier." she told him. For a moment, she almost felt guilty for the ease such a lie rolled off her tongue. But the forgiving smirk that she was answered with made her erase such momentary remorse.

"Alright. See you later." he told her, placing a cheesy kiss on the back of her hand and releasing it from his grasp. It was there that they parted ways for the time being. Richard, to lunch to meet up with his friends and get something to eat. And Kori, to the library, to investigate the personally peculiar behavior of her best friend that she'd witnessed maybe a minute prior.

She had a slight hunch that seemed to come out of nowhere, for what her friend was doing... But she wanted to offer the benefit of the doubt. She didn't know for sure...she wanted to see for herself. And if her suspicions were confirmed, she would address them. But this was precarious. Simple...yet precarious. She had to do this correctly...and for some reason, spying seemed to be the best approach at the moment. So the redhead found herself perched behind a tall bookcase, studying Rachel as she logged onto the school computer.

On the screen lie Google. A search engine the Kori mildly recognized...so with narrow eyes, she watched as her dark friend typed in 'Tameran' and hit 'enter'. To be honest, she was momentarily surprised at just how many different articles there were about it...until, of course, she remembered that there really was a small country with the same title. A _blonde_ moment, if she had the term right. Safe to say her high guard was clouding her judgment a little bit.

Rachel's violet eyes studied the screen, as she tried to find something about Tameranian culture or government...or even exchange student programs. She saw a page that said "Life in the Tiny Village of Tameran" ...an article from a journalist in New York, and clicked on it. There was a picture of a bunch of clay houses...strange to think that Kori came from a place like this. She scrolled down, until there was a picture of a family standing by their home...only...the family was very dark-skinned.

(A/N: I DON'T mean to make this sound racist. Please forgive me if I rub y'all the wrong way...I'm just thinking, it's Africa...so I'm trying to put in the story as detail.)

Rachel's brows furrowed, so she went back to the search engine and typed 'Tameran' into the image tab. The results showed the same as before. Every native to that village was dark-skinned, with dark eyes...they even looked a lot shorter than Kori. ...this didn't make sense. But...Tameran? How would she come up with that? Maybe she was adopted, or...a foster care, or...did they even have that in Africa?

She went back to the web page of her search and went through article after article, looking for something on foster programs or...relocation. Adoption. But she didn't really see anything. As her confusion grew, Kori's nerves did flips, and she began growing closer and closer to her friend, waiting to jump in if needed. ...and that's when Rachel went to the next page to see "Are We Alone In The Universe?". Something stirred inside her, and she went to click it, until a friendly hand met her shoulder, making her jump and close the window immediately,

"Hey, Rae, what's up?" the lump grew in her throat as the dark girl looked up at her friend nervously,

"Nothing, just finishing up on some homework." she said as she logged off the computer and slung her bag onto her shoulder. Kori nodded,

"I see." there was a moment of silence, as she waited to see if there would be anything else said. As she determined there wouldn't be, she continued, "I take it, you're all done?" Rachel relaxed a little with the sweetness of her friend's tone,

"Yeah, was just heading to lunch to meet Gar." she reasoned, looking up at the tall girl, and waiting for more reaction. Kori just nodded,

"I'll walk with you." Rachel didn't say anything as they exited the library and began making their way towards the cafeteria. Even though both were passing glances and random smile or piece of small talk as they walked, there was thick tension between the girls. It was when they reached the large dining building that Kori stopped her friend and looked her over,

"You should stop prying, Rae. For your own good." she warned with harsh seriousness. It took a moment for the short girl to comprehend what her friend had just told her, but by than, Kori had gone inside and was heading toward the table where Gar sat. Though...the absence of Richard made her look around for a moment, and placed her mind elsewhere for the time being,

"Hey Gar." she greeted, still looking around for her boyfriend. Rachel appeared beside her and sat down, looking up at the redhead, still slightly taken back from what she'd just been told. Gar didn't seem to notice though. The odd blonde boy lit up at the sight of his friends,

"Hey Kor. Rae." he spoke, looking to both of them with a toothy grin,

"Rachel." she corrected, strictly. But Gar just smirked,

"Hey, where's Richard?" Kori asked, giving up on her escapade of finding him visually. But he just shrugged,

"I haven't seen him today." and for a moment, she had to think. He told her that he was heading this way... Maybe he's just hidden in the line? She furrowed her brows and nodded to him, trying to piece together in her head where he might be,

"I see." she muttered, blind to Rachel's eyes, studying her intently. It took a few seconds for Kori to snap out of her small mental trance, "So did you guys figure out where you're going for your date?" she was quick to change the subject. She didn't like when people had the opportunity to read her.

"We're getting pizza and going to a movie." the boy said proudly. And with this, Kori smiled,

"What movie?" she asked...this time, she was intentionally avoiding eye contact with her dark friend...though that didn't stop her from feeling her eyes burning into the side of her face.

"He talked me into Red Dawn." but with Rachel directly speaking to her, Kori had no choice but to glance her way,

"Well, it looks good." she said with a shrug. Gar seemed pleased with this statement.

"See, that's what I said." he beamed. The redhead smiled, and his 'date' seemed amused...but the silence that started to creep in made him almost uncomfortable, "Aren't you guys eating?" he asked, curiously looking them both over.

"Yeah, I'm about to go through the Chik-fil-a line." Rachel lied. She wasn't hungry. But she hated the "You know, you really should eat something, Rae" conversation that she was sure would come with her objection.

"I'm not really hungry." Kori mumbled, making Gar frown,

"Are you okay?" he asked. It was than that she became aware of the troubled look on her face,

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just not hungry. Had a big breakfast." she came up with the excuse out of thin air, but it seemed to hold enough water to make the short boy nod in response. Either way, Kori had too much on her mind to think about eating. Not only did she have her best friend trying to dig into her personal life...but her boyfriend wasn't here, when he said he'd be. Not that she was mad...she knew he was a big boy. But it wasn't like him...and something about it was just...not right.

-RING-

_Saved by the bell_. She thought, quickly excusing herself, and slipping out of the cafeteria before anyone had a chance to say anything to her. She just didn't want to be around anyone right now. ...well...no one but Richard. She wanted to know where he had disappeared to... But that's about the time she heard a loud 'clank'. No idea what it was, of course, but it came from the side hallway, so she started that way to investigate. She was taken by slight surprise as what she'd found ...well, she found Richard. He had an anger in his eyes that she'd never seen before, and had Xavier Redd pushed against the back row of lockers, and she could almost feel the rage radiating off of him.

"Just watch your back." he growled furiously, releasing him with a rough shove. Their glare remained locked for another few seconds, until Xavier saw the beautiful girl standing there. Richard followed his broken eye contact, to see her, and freeze. Suddenly, he felt like he'd just done something wrong.

Kori, on the other hand, was confused. She looked at him with furrowed brows, trying to piece in her head what had just passed between these two boys. ...she didn't see any blood or sign of a fight, which was a plus. But X _had_ just been pinned against the lockers by Richard's elbow across his throat. ...but her train of thought came to a sudden hault, as she noticed X was still looking at her with a faint evil in his gaze. It lasted a moment longer, before he looked over to his playboy enemy with a coy smirk,

"Yeah? Well watch your girlfriend." he hissed, before walking off in a huff. Kori felt slightly vulnerable with what he'd said. Something about it made her uneasy...but nothing like Dick. His fists were clenched, and you could tell his rival's words had bothered him down to the bone. Hastily, she put a hand on his shoulder,

"Is...everything okay?" she inquired, looking him over with concern. His entire had been tense and arched, and she could feel his heart pounding through her hand. She was about to ask him again, before he acknowledged her and loosened up slightly,

"Everything's fine. Just can't stand that asshole." he excused. She didn't entirely believe him, but decided it was best to let it be-at least for now-and gently kissed him on the cheek,

"Come on, babe. Let's go to class." she cooed, slipping her fingers between his and offering his hand a light squeeze. He nodded, knowing it was best to hide his disposition for the sake of keeping her from worrying...but he couldn't get what X had said out of his head. There was a sickness rising in his gut from it...something about it...the way he looked at her...the way he looked at _him_...his tone...the conviction in his voice...it almost sounded...like a threat?

"A-Are you sure you're okay?" Kori's angelic voice pulled him out of his mental interrogation. He looked her over, and tried for force a light smile onto his face,

"Yeah." he told her, placing a light kiss on her lips. He needed to kick it out of his head right now...he could give it the thought later...right now, he has to keep cool. He used to be good at that... But he just looked her over once more, and kissed her again,

"Yeah, I'm fine."

XOXOXOXOX

So...voila. Tense? Little bit?

Maybe it seemed a tad rushed, but I have work early in the morning, and wanted to finish this up before I went to bed.

I didn't get a chance to proof read it...so I hope it's alright.

Hope y'all enjoyed. Please tell me what you thought.


	46. Chapter 46: False Hope

Alright y'all...honestly, this is just a filler chapter. But you're going to like the next one, I promise!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

_The sound of that heavy sigh slipping through his lips was enough to rocket a chill up her back as she caressed his bare chest. Her main focus was on the exposed skin pressed up against her...all she could make out were glimpses of flesh...sighs and other sounds of passion exerted themselves, and she felt as though she were being wrapped in a cloud of euphoria. He breathed her name and ran his stubble-y face across her neck, making her groan at the gentle scratches. Gently she clawed at the small of his back, making him tense and grab tightly onto her hair, gently tugging at it with a soft growl. She arched at the sensation, and squeezed him tightly, holding onto him as if for dear life. _

Her eyes flew open...yet another dream. Glancing over at her alarm clock, Kori recognized it at 4:05 a.m. and groaned...it seemed she couldn't help but give in to the spinning of her mind.

With a heavy sigh, she slowly hoisted herself up, and shook the sleep-or lack of sleep from her eyes. Eh, it was pointless to try getting back to sleep now, anyway. Duty, instead, was calling for her to try yet again to find some sort of salvation for her situation...though it was a pointless escapade. It gave her something to do in order to keep her mind from giving her a feeling of just sitting back and watching the wheels turning around her.

For a moment, the redhead hesitated, before pulling open the drawer to her desk and pulling out the letter she'd received just a couple weeks ago. The one that told her what her fate was doomed to be in the next couple of months. ...that told her about the murder of her brother. The only real family she had left.

Just reading it over, she felt the tears welding in her eyes.

_Grand Ruler II (second in line for command) Koriand'r,_

_Blar'n kori'net jkeihy'th khyir'ne granp'der elv'nel flekh's heih'se hien'ter sieast dakin' aidhtei' adne skillpnar lseih'ner air'el sdeith fiea sann sadk aleipny neiah ski'll'me dhi askeh aleihh ahnarrp dkgeh' naneg angie'cahh'b dhecht vhere'e anp masna eighce'd'e daha aheither' anvity baneiit anct'a cneiy nepgit b'nae hli'ce anyr alkseh anytir anya' eiynso nbeihn hkei kwep hpeabne anierh aneriy aleipny neiah ski'll'me dhi askeh aleihh ahnarrp dkgeh' naneg angie'cahh'b dhecht vhere'e anp masna eighce'd'e daha aheither' anvity baneiiit anct'a cneiy nepgit b'nae hli'ce anyr alkseh anytir anya' eiynso nbeihn hkei kwep hpeabne anierh aneriy …_

But none of this left any room for hope, she feared... Now that her sister was going to be pronounced Grand Ruler-even temporarily...no. There wasn't any hope for her. She knew she'd be turned over to the Coridan the instant the offering was cleared. But...perhaps...you know, she could be hopeful. There's always a chance that a truce would be called. There was always that chance that the Coridanians would give up with her home's complicated systems. Or...perhaps, the Tameranians could prove themselves victorious through some miracle. They didn't have the biggest militia. But...there was a chance?

No. She shook her head to herself. That's silly. She knew it'd never happen. Coridan wouldn't surrender. Not when they had Tameran so well outnumbered as well as out-armed. And when they had such a prize as the second beloved princess at their fingertips...no. They weren't going anywhere. Nor would they be defeated.

She thought momentarily about running away... But she knew that would drown her planet in punishment. Perhaps she could be substituted with a criminal from death row. But...that's not right. Even _if_ they downgraded the worth of their trade, she wouldn't want someone else to have to suffer the fate that she would be damned to. Sheer torture and experimentation...a long and drawn out process until she'd be lucky enough to granted death. No...no one deserved that.

That's the same reason she wouldn't challenge her sister to the crown. She knew she had a pretty good chance at defeating her. But...she's still her sister. Despite all else. She wouldn't want that to happen to anyone. Especially not her sister.

'_You know if Kommand'r is Grand Ruler, that Tameran will suffer dearly, Koriand'r._' spoke the voice in the back of her head. And she knew it was right... Her sister would trash the planet...run it into the ground. ...but still...did it mean she deserved this fate? No... There was no way.

Kori threw the letter down, and leaned back with a groan... This was making her sick. She didn't want to leave...this was...this was her home. Bruce, Alfred...Richard...they were her family... She wanted to stay here. Why couldn't it be that simple?

...well...maybe it could be... There was a chance that she could survive what was going to happen to her... Maybe there was a chance she would walk away. When they were done with their torture. When they were done wit their tests. After they got what they wanted. ...maybe it was just...no... She needed to avoid getting their hopes up. The whole reason they wanted to her was to see just what the Tameranian body could endure. What it took to kill one with natural forces. ...she wouldn't walk away from this. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"It's not fair!" she cried out, ripping the letter to pieces and throwing them across her bedroom floor. The tears began streaming down her face, and she collapsed on the floor in a fit of tears. ...she knew it was childish. But she wasn't sure she cared. She was seventeen and was soon to suffer the most gruesome fate imaginable... It was...tragic, if she weren't so dramatic to say so.

Why did she get with Richard? All she's doing is...leading him on... Getting attached, which she swore she'd never do. And...she knew he was getting attached to her too... How bad was it going to hurt him when she left? When she never came back? Never saw him again... Would it break him? ...why? Why was she so stupid to give in to him? She knew this would happen! She knew just what she would get out of this. She knew what she would cause. Yet...she did it anyway? What was wrong with her?!

Why...she always had to make things worse... She'd be dead soon... And she's stringing him on... The most amazing person she'd ever met...and she's just playing with his strings...

"I should just leave now...that'd be so much better..." ...she really wish she didn't have to go to school in a couple hours.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...short, I know...

But I needed a filler chap...and I'm going to skip Tuesday at school. Hope y'all don't mind. But the next chapter is going to be long and...I think y'all are gonna like it. :)

Please tell me what you thought...I know it wasn't too special. But the next chapter...I'm pretty sure you'll be pleased.

Love y'all!


	47. Chapter 47: The Work Party

Voila...I think I got this one up quick enough:) And it's longer! Lol...I have to work early in the morning, but I stayed up to finish it up just for y'all. So please enjoy!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

_The sound of that heavy sigh slipping through his lips was enough to rocket a chill up her back as she caressed his bare chest. Her main focus was on the exposed skin pressed up against her...all she could make out were glimpses of flesh...sighs and other sounds of passion exerted themselves, and she felt as though she were being wrapped in a cloud of euphoria. He breathed her name and ran his stubble-y face across her neck, making her groan at the gentle scratches. Gently she clawed at the small of his back, making him tense and grab tightly onto her hair, gently tugging at it with a soft growl. She arched at the sensation, and squeezed him tightly, holding onto him as if for dear life. _

She woke up, with a start, at the sound of a knock on her door. Shaken, Kori sat up in a jolt, looking at the entrance of her room to see her handsome boyfriend standing there with a concerned look on his face,

"Another of those dreams?" he asked, as he began walking steadily towards her with a crinkled brow. The redhead relaxed on her headboard, and watched at he sat down beside her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she looked away for a moment,

"It's nothing." she spoke, meeting his eyes to show him there was no need to worry. But he shook his head and lightly placed his hand on her knee,

"I can see on your face that that's not true." there weren't many times that she wished he wasn't able to read her...but this was one of them. She didn't know what to say...she wanted to deny it. But she wasn't sure if she'd be able to lie straight to his face,

"Talk to me, Kor." he pressed a little harder, looking her over and meeting her eyes with his. He hated seeing something wrong, but either not being able to fix it, or not knowing what it was. ...hard to determine which of the two was worse. But seeing the trouble in his eyes, Kori released a sigh,

"It's...they're not bad dreams. Just...awkward, I guess." she said. He seemed momentarily confused.

"Awkward?" he asked. She paused for a moment. ...she knew that if she did end up telling him what the dreams were about, than saying they were 'awkward' would possibly offend him. And she didn't want that. So it was about for her to find some new words.

"Or...not awkward. Just something I'm not used to. I just...I guess...I get embarrassed." she corrected, knowing it was lame and gave him the grounds he could need to pry,

"Kori, it's me. What have you got to be embarrassed about?" she gave him a slight 'heh', making him frown and look at her,

"What have you got to be embarrassed about?" he asked again, this time, not really giving her the option of not answering him.

"Dreaming of sleeping with you?" she spoke with such doubt, it sounded like a question...but it was enough to make him freeze for a moment. He hadn't expected her to be so open about it, and rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness.

"Oh.." he managed. But his silence made her suddenly regret telling him.

"See?" but with the look on her face, Richard caught himself and cleared his throat,

"No...that's not it. I just...wasn't sure what to say to that." he looked her over, hoping he'd settled her nerves a little bit. He hated the way he'd momentarily put her on the spot like that...but he watched the conflict reflecting in her eyes, and waited patiently for her to speak whatever it was on her mind.

"I don't...even know why I've been having these dreams. It hadn't even crossed my mind, til..." she trailed off, and his heart slightly skipped a beat,

"The party?" he asked. But the confusion on her face told him he was misleading himself,

"No...? I was gonna say the dreams." he swallowed,

"O-Oh...that's what I meant." he covered poorly.

"No it's not." she spoke, watching him strictly. A moment of silence passed, and the only sound that Dick made was a soft gulp as he tried to piece his words together. ...but Kori grew impatient. "What aren't you telling me? What about the party?" she asked. He knew he wasn't getting out of this one, so he sighed in light defeat and rested a hand on his shoulder,

"Do you remember how X gave you that alcohol?" she smiled bitterly,

"That's just about all I can remember." Kori's answer made him think for a few seconds, before he nodded in agreement,

"Right...I guess that makes sense." she wasn't stupid. She could see him trying to switch the subject around from a mile away.

"Richard..." she warned gently. He sighed and looked away,

"You...weren't yourself...when we got home." but as the tension began filling up the room, Kori began raising her guard up,

"...how so?" she asked him, trying to play dumb, more than anything. Richard sighed...he wanted to just flat out say it...but how was she going to react to that? Would she see it as him taking advantage of her? ...that's what he'd tried to avoid that night.

"You just...were talking different...acting different...wanting different things..." he began trying to explain. But she already saw what he was trying to say, and nodded to herself,

"So we had sex." she stated, bluntly. The lack of doubt in her words made him feel anxious, and he immediately felt like the worst boyfriend in the world. The need to defend himself was strong, but the voice in the back of his head told him he didn't have much of a right to do so.

"I...Kori, believe me. I tried to say no. You were just so insistent...and it..." he trailed off...it was official. He's an asshole.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" his beautiful girlfriend asked, looking over him with a slight trace of doubt. In truth, she was trying not to make a big issue out of this ordeal...but the feeling of vulnerability was creeping over her disposition,

"Honestly, I don't know. I mean I want to say I would...but...It's a hard thing to bring up." he explained, looking her over. For a moment, she sat beside him thinking...she could see the truth in his words...but she wasn't sure what to say in return.

"Baby, I'm sorry." Dick told her, looking at her with hopeful eyes. She didn't even really seem phased though,

"I don't blame you...I'm not even mad. Just...surprised, I guess." she said, more to herself than to him.

"I'm sorry." he said again, this time looking down, until he felt her eyes on him. Slowly, she worked a smile onto her face,

"Don't worry about it. Let's get breakfast!" she sang out. He couldn't help but grin. He knew she was just changing the subject. But the lack of hesitation in her forgiveness made him relax. Now, he was fighting the urge to pull her into a tight hug, and kiss her face all over. Now that this was out of the way, he had nothing to keep them from enjoying the day.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked her, but she shook her head,

"I think you're the one who needs to choose. You're the one whose got a big night ahead of you." but this made him smirk.

"You too, though, eh?" but Kori couldn't help but smile. Yes. She was a part of this 'big night' too. So she heaved a heavy and rather fake sigh, and looked him over,

"So what time is this thing?"

Standing at the top of the stairs, just out of site, the redhead was frozen. She could hear the faint chatter of the people who stood only yards away from her...but her own heartbeat seemed to drown that out. She wasn't sure she was ready for this. Even though it was for Richard's benefit, she wasn't accustomed to being dressed up or meeting a bunch of strangers. Even back home...political meetings were held at a table in the small council hall. Nothing like this. ...though she knew she should've learned by now that she can't compare her experiences from home to the ones here.

She struggled to keep her knees from shaking... She was about three minutes late, because she'd forgotten where she put the shoes she'd wanted for this dress. But no one seemed to notice her absence...she hoped to just slip in unnoticed, and miraculously find herself by Richard's side. ...but of course, she had to find him first.

She set her jade eyes to searching the crowd, allowing herself a step closer, for better visual. My, there were more people there than she'd prepared herself for... And of all ages, too. She'd expected more elderly...but she spotted many people who were probably not much older than she was. It was nerve-wracking, seeing just how many people she'd have to meet in the next few hours. ...oh, how she hoped to make a good impression. But this was distraction from the moment at hand. ...Richard...where was Richard... She spotted him talking to an older-looking man. The smile gently dazzled her lips...she couldn't deny that he cleaned up nicely.

-With Dick-

"So where's this lovely lady of yours?" inquired the man.

"She should be right around here." Dick told him, trying to sift through the crowd so that he could point her out. But his eyes made their way to the stair case, and he felt his heart stop.

She was dressed in a shimmering purple gown. Strapless, and stretching just past her knees, hugging ever curve of her hourglass figure. There was a simplicity to it, though it was anything but ordinary. Vines and flowers were embroidered around the body of it, and there was a transparent layer over top to make it shine. For a moment, he allowed Rachel kudos for helping her pick it, but he couldn't keep his mind away from her for more than half a second.

Her hair was curly, and cascading down her back in a perfect auburn waterfall, though she had the front of it pulled back in a dragonfly clip. Tendrils fell along her cheekbones, framing her face perfectly. Her lips adopted a slightly red tint, drawing him in with every glance. But her eyes... He'd only seen her wear make-up once, and...that was for the party. Not to say she didn't look beautiful. But that was more sexy, than anything else. This...this was elegant. Gorgeous beyond description. Light eyeliner, yes. But eyeshadow that had a smokey look, making her eyes nearly glow against the color compliment...as if they needed any help standing out.

It felt like a scene from a movie, the way she stood their, lighting up the entire room. Her graceful steps slowly down the grand staircase as she made her way towards him, almost in slow motion. Their eyes were locked, and...even with everyone standing around him, he felt as if they were the only two in the room. His heart was drumming the most glorious song in his chest...and his entire body felt warm. At this point, he couldn't have fought the grin that broke out on his face if he his life depended on it.

"That's her?" the old man asked with a smile, as he read the expression on Dick's face. Suddenly the heir remembered he had company, and tried to split his attention long enough to look at him,

"Y-Yeah... Yes sir. Please excuse me for a moment." he managed. The man didn't even hesitate. With the look in the young man's eyes, there was no denying his need to be beside her at that moment. So he simply watched as Richard made his way to the foot of the stairs and took Kori's hand in the gentlest grasp. Their eyes met for a moment, and a force unbeknownst to the redhead turned her cheeks a deep crimson as he placed the lightest kiss on her hand. For a moment, this moment froze time...but that's also about the time she noticed that almost everyone in the room had their eyes on the couple,

"R-Richard...?" she asked. He knew what she was trying to say, but he didn't care. He knew they'd be more than willing to wait for him to introduce them.

"Babe, you look stunning..." he told her with utmost honesty. Kori looked him over for a moment, as the blush became more visible,

"You don't look too bad yourself Mr. Grayson." he grinned and nodded over to the man he'd been conversing with moments ago. She took in a deep breath as to prepare herself, but gave him the nod that she was ready, and let him lead her over.

"Mr. Jones, this is Korina Anderson." the teen boy said with a gentle gesture of his hand,

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am. Mr. Grayson, you've got yourself a lovely young lady." Mr. Jones said, taking Kori's slender hand and giving it a formal kiss.

"Thank you, sir. I'd have to agree with you." Dick grinned in pride.

"It's nice to meet you, sir." she said, offering a sweet smile for introduction.

"Mr. Jones is manager of Gotham Ice Bank." the young man explained. The redhead offered a coy smirk,

"Ooh, very impressive." she teased with partial seriousness. Mr. Jones chuckles in response,

"Well, we do try." he joked, deciding hands down that he liked her. Dick gave a moment for the situation to carry, but noticed his mentor gesturing him for his company. He nodded and placed his hand on the small of Kori's back, leaning in slightly,

"Mr. Jones, I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me. Bruce needs me over with Mr. Sullivan." he said. The older man didn't seem to have any problem with this. He understood how the world of politics went. So he nodded with a polite smile,

"Of course. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Anderson." she smiled,

"Likewise, sir." And with that, she was led over to where Bruce Wayne stood-also looking dashingly handsome in his tuxedo-next to a middle-aged man. With the sight of his son standing there, he molded his face into 'polite businessman' expression,

"Dick, you remember Mr. Sullivan?" he asked, bringing his son's presence into acknowledgment.

"Of course, sir, how's everything at the plant?" Richard knew the rules of this game like the back of his hand, and offered him a standard/routine handshake,

"Well, fine, son. Thank you for asking." Mr. Sullivan told him with a please grin. The playboy allowed a few seconds to pass, before he proudly gestured over to his beautiful girlfriend,

"Well that's great to hear. May I intro-"

"May I introduce you to Korina Anderson. Sorry to interrupt, Dick. She's our foreign exchange student this year." Bruce cut in sharply, slicing into his son's words with intended precision. Their acquaintance seemed prepared for the introduction and looked her over with an observant eye,

"Oh yes, I've heard a lot about you. How's your brother?" he asked, making Dick pause for a moment and look at her. He was obviously puzzled by this. Kori, on the other hand, was taken off guard, but tried to hide it, inhaling sharply, and looking him over. Now's the time to raise her defenses. ...she knew how to play this. Unbeknownst to her boyfriend, she knew this game just as well as he did.

"O-Oh, he's fine, sir. I didn't know you knew him." she mentioned keenly, testing the waters with her most polite mask on. Mr. Sullivan looked her over, reading the pain she was attempting to cover up, and nodding,

"Yes, I'm actually involved in his current vendetta." he informed her. ...suddenly, she felt exposed. But she refused to let it show. Suspicion was flooding through her veins, but she kept it to herself and offered him a smile,

"Well that I'll be sure to tell him I bumped into you." she spoke. Richard looked between the two of them, almost...angered, for being left out of the loop. How did someone he barely know seem to be better informed about her home life than he was? ...how did that add up? How did that make sense?

"Send him my best regards." Mr. Sullivan said. But the look in his eyes, seemed to mean more than he was letting on. She stole a glance at Bruce with furrowed brows, but he offered her a slightly reassuring nod, though...at this point, her doubt was more than evident.

"If you'll excuse me, Mr. Sullivan, may I borrow Korina for a moment?" he asked. But the man didn't even hesitate,

"But, of course." and with his acceptance of their exclusion, the two of them left the Grand Hall and found their way into the kitchen, where they were completely alone.

"Bruce, who is that guy?" the fear in Kori's voice stood out, but she didn't care to hide it from him. He was the only one she could talk to about this stuff...and she wanted answers from him desperately,

"He works communications for me. He's been part of the Tameranian alliance for about six years now." Bruce explained. But with his words, she took a step back, shaking her head, as she felt her heart skip a beat,

"Six years...but that's when-"

"When Galfore was assassinated." he cut in with an unfortunate nod. Kori thought about this for a moment, nodded slowly, but was temporarily incapable of managing any words. The tall man looked her over and allowed himself to give in to his sympathy, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder and meeting her eyes in an almost fatherly gaze,

"I only wanted you to meet him so that you had an inside contact if you went back." he told her, watching closely for whatever reaction she would give him. He knew it was a touchy subject to tap into...but the slightly cold smile she gave him caused him to hesitate.

"You mean _when _I go back." she corrected, keeping her head held high, unwilling to let him see the fear she was feeling. Bruce knew she was just about as stubborn as he or Dick...so he heaved a soft sigh,

"If it comes to that, yes." he removed his hand and looked her over. For his sake, she fakes a polite smile,

"Well thank you, Bruce." he nodded, "May...I return to Richard, or...?" she asked. He knew they shouldn't be off the floor for long.

"Yes, of course. This is a conversation better suited for a later time anyway. I just wanted to clear up the confusion." he assured her. ...she nodded. Perhaps this _was_ something she needed to get more details about... But right now, she needed to be by her boyfriend's side like she promised him she would be. Make small talk...appearances...keep him from ripping his hair out. This wasn't the kind of thing she wanted to focus on right now...she needed to be with him. So she waited for Bruce to gesture her back into the room, and reentered it, just in time for her to meet his warm grin,

"Just the girl I was looking for. There's someone else I want you meet."

-Three hours and about seventy-five meaningless conversations later, Richard found himself finally able to have his girl all to himself. Bruce had just excused himself for the evening, and Alfred-the night owl-had already started to clean up...even though he'd been told not to worry about it until tomorrow. Kori had walked over and sat on one of the dining room chairs, removing her shoes, and heaving a heavy sigh.

"I can't understand how girls actually _enjoy_ wearing these things." she said jokingly, as she tossed them carelessly into her lap. Richard watched with a slight grin, looking her over. He allowed himself a moment to study her...her hair-even though it'd gotten a little loose from the hours of the night-still made her face out to be the perfect portrait...beautiful...no...radiant... He couldn't stop staring. And she couldn't help but notice,

"What?" she asked him curiously, giving him the most innocent look he'd ever seen.

"You are so...beautiful." he managed through his daze. Kori's cheeks turned red, and she looked away,

"You are so delusional." her comeback made him laugh, but still, he managed to overcome himself and walk over to her, kneeling down and pulling her into a gentle kiss.

"You about ready for bed?" he asked. She just smiled and nodded, kissing him again. Dick pulled away slowly and looked her over with a coy grin.

"What are you-" but before she could finish her question, he hoisted her off her feet in a cliché bridal style, sounding a squeak from the unsuspecting redhead. She laughed in amusement and wrapped her arms around his neck in a trusting grasp as he carried her up the stairs, down three hallways, and into her bedroom. It only took him a moment to set her on her bed, but the kiss he gave her goodnight lasted a few minutes longer than that.

Gently, she grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, and pulled him closer, grazing his lips with hers teasingly, before fully allowing them to collide. He grinned from under her lips, and kissed her harder, leaning her slightly back with temptation, and allowing the temptation to drip onto him. He allowed one more kiss to pass between them before he slowly pulled away. Looking over her, he offered a light smile, but her hand on his didn't allow him the space to get up.

"Richard..." she began, looking at him with a lightened and slightly devilish smile, and kissed him with a passion that seemed to light a small fire in the depth of his stomach,

"Stay with me." she breathed in his ear, kissing his neck, jaw, and than finally his lips, making his blood boil. He tried to pull away for a moment to read the expression on her face, but she just closed the gap again with another kiss. After he managed to pull away, he shook his head and looked at her... He wasn't about to take advantage of her again.

"Kor-"

"I know what I'm doing, babe, I promise." she cut him off before giving him the chance to explain. She studied his eyes with hers, and offered him a light nod to assure him that her mind was in the right place, before her fingers began dancing at the buttons of his shirt, pulling them open, and kissing his lips,

"Stay with me." she repeated, allowing him a moment to look her over and see the seriousness in her eyes. Once he did, the grin slowly stretched across his handsome face, and he gently leaned her back, kissing her again.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...alright, perhaps I cut out a little more of the party than I expected to. But y'all didn't wanna read about small talk and business propositions haha.

Either way...it's been a bit of a chapter, eh? Sorta...I don't know, I liked a few of the pages starting to turn, at least.

I hope y'all enjoyed it as well.  
>So please tell me what you thought. There's gonna be a lot more coming up in the next half dozen chapters.<p>

Tell me...should I write out Rachel and Gar's date, or do you want me to skip the details and just go to the aftermath? Lol...up to you guys!

I love y'all!

Please tell me what you thought.


	48. Chapter 48: Is Kori Her Real Name?

Alrighty...new chapter. Surprise, surprise. Story seemed to be getting the ball rolling a little bit, huh?

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

The sun was creeping through Kori's purple curtains in broken rays that splashed across her sleeping face. Watching in admiration, Richard grinned and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. It was amazing to him, the way she could captivate him without so much as being awake. She was still naked, sleeping on her stomach, and holding onto his arm tightly, as if with all the trust in the world. He couldn't help but touch her face, brushing a strand of crimson hair from her cheek and studying her in mesmeration,

"You wanna know something, Kor? ...I really think I-"

"Dick, I need you downstairs, now." he adopted father called up, signaling a slightly rough drop in his gut. Part of his wasn't in the mood to deal with his, but the voice in the back of his head told him it couldn't be avoided.

"Fair enough." he muttered under his breath, giving his sleeping girlfriend a light kiss on the forehead and slipping out from the bed beside her, wrestling his arm free. After reapplying his white undershirt, he stole one last glance at her, cracking a grin of adoration, but quickly recovered and headed downstairs to find his mentor standing at the start of the hallway with a look of expectancy,

"What's up?" He asked, preparing himself for some kind of lecture about 'stay away from that girl' or...perhaps last night, he said something wrong and was going to pay for it now. But the look on Bruce's face told him that there was more going on than a simple 'shame on you' .

"Joker was found dead last night." he said in a monotone. But for a moment, the young man had to to think about what'd just been said to him. And when he did, it hit him like a brick wall.

"W-what? What happened?" he asked, trying to hide his surprise, but failing miserably. Bruce, however, kept his composure.

"He was murdered by another villain." the ease of his words kind of pressed a thought into his head that there was a decent deal more that needed to be said.

"Who?" Dick asked with caution.

"No one knows. They're unknown." but this didn't add up. Furrowing his brows, the playboy worked his way into testing the waters.

"Than how do they know it was a villain?" he asked suspiciously. Bruce frowned, and slowly pulled a slightly blood-soaked piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it to his son. Richard furrowed his brows and slowly too the the note into his hands and unfolding it, looking it over,

_Don't count this as a favor, bird boy. My reasons are selfish. Nobody kills you, but me._

The lump formed in the young man's throat, and he read it over a couple more times. It didn't matter. With Bruce watching, he wouldn't show any emotion whatsoever. Not fear. Not anger. And not the pride that bubbled up inside wanting to say 'you can't kill me if I find you first'. So instead he handed it back to his father and sighed,

"I've gotten death threats before." he said...but Bruce wasn't taking this lightly,

"This is different." he warned. Dick scoffed,

"How?"

"This was personal, Dick." his mentor spoke with a strict hiss. And deep down, the young man knew he was right. But he refused to let it show. He'd never let it show.

"I'll take care of it." he blurted, plainly. But the tension was rising.

"For once, why can't you act your own age? This isn't something you can just take lightly." but the older man's tone was still carrying the burden of something more... Did he know something that he didn't? It didn't matter. Someone wanted him head, they could stand in line. He'd just train a little harder and watch his back a little closer.

"Bruce! When you pulled me into this, I knew it would be dangerous. I'm flirting with death every day I'm out there!" he growled...though a lot of his anger had to do with his dwindling tolerance for all Bruce's secrecy. He was tired of having things kept from him. Tired of having to dance around through codes and whatever else. Having to dig through layers in order to know what he needed to do. All of it.

"You should keep your voice down." There, see? Bruce was only proving his point...and fueling his anger as if using Miracle Grow.

"Why? So Kori doesn't hear? I'm not afraid of her knowing, Bruce!" he snapped...but the billionaire was far better with undertones than his pupil and his eyes narrowed horridly,

"...you told her?" he asked. Dick stumbled over himself for a moment but recovered almost immediately. There were things he didn't need to know? There were things Bruce didn't need to know.

"Don't put words in my mouth. And don't change the subject. I know what I'm doing." to be honest, he just wanted to subject to be dropped so he could go to his room to think things through...or the gym to blow off some steam. His father figure was the absolute last person he wanted to talk to at the moment. Someone wanted his head, he was going to figure out who, and he was going to get them behind bars with a few scars to remind them that he was not one to be fucked with. But his eyes seemed to reveal his thoughts a little more boldly than he'd intended them to,

"You can't do this alone. We need to find out more about this guy. We need to create a plan and do this together." but this made the playboy's jaw clench,

"Being afraid? That's what he wants." Dick snapped. But he knew it was a little egotistical for him to be thinking this way. He didn't care.

"It's not fear. It's intelligence." Bruce's words cut right into the nerve of his son's irritation,

"Call it what you want, Bruce. But it'll be fine." he reassured, hoping it could be dropped than and there. ...but he knew it wasn't the case. His father's face grew serious. Not angry. Serious.

"I won't let you sit back with your head up your ass, and watch you die." he growled...and for a moment, Dick was almost touched by the concern for his safety being expressed...but he wouldn't let it show. He had to do what he did best. Keep his face straight and block out any sentimental emotion,

"You really have that little faith in me?" he asked rhetorically. But...to his surprise, Bruce just looked down and shook his head with a light sigh,

"You're my son, Dick." he said...which...this time, got to the young man. The care in his voice was something he'd only heard twice before. Once was when Diana died... And the other was the night he took him into his home after his parents died.

"It's not your job to protect me. I can do that myself." the playboy pressed. But this seemed to hit a button, and his father's face rippled with frustration,

"Goddamnit. Just be realistic for once." he warned. But to him, this conversation was done.

"I've gotta get ready for school." he turned to walk away, before-

"That won't be necessary. You and Korina are both sick. Food poisoning from going out to dinner last night. And likely tomorrow." stopping Dick in his tracks, and making him slowly look back with a slight death in his stare,

"What?" he asked.

"We need to buckle down on this. Your little green-haired friend will drop off your homework at the end of the day, in addition to your school notes." Bruce reassured. But the young man could almost feel his blood boil.

"What do you think this'll accomplish?" he snapped. But his mentor remained composed,

"We have a lot of things to assess." but Richard shook his head,

"I told you, I can handle-"

"Not just about you." but this made him think for a moment...and his disposition turned slightly cold.

"...Kori?" he asked, knowing he was right the instant her name slipped his lips. Bruce nodded slowly, preparing in advance for his son's anger to begin cooking,

"I'm sure we both agree that we don't want anything to happen to her." he stated dully. But the playboy was suspicious...something about this conversation was different than the ones before.

"What's your point?"

"My point is...we need to come to an understanding." he drilled with a deep hiss. Dick rolled his eyes,

"He wants me dead. I **understand**." he said cockily, giving him the kind of look that insisted he wasn't going to be swayed.

"Dick...Korina-"

"No." he cut him off. Was this another 'break up with her, or there'll be consequences' ? He was sick of these. He was a superhero for Christ's sake! It was getting really old that his own mentor-the man who _trained_ him. Who knows what he can do...doesn't trust him to keep safe the girl he cares about? But Bruce didn't have any intention of dropping this subject until he got his way.

"We need to protect her." he growled.

"I know. That's what I'm gonna do. No one'll hurt her. I'll make sure of it." Richard snarled, furrowing his brows in a slightly angry gaze.

"I can't risk leaving that in your hands." but this insulted the young man. Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was his own twisted ego...or maybe it was a slight sting that there was such little faith in him.

"You don't trust me?" he asked, sort of rhetorically.

"It's not about trust. This is something I won't gamble with." there was no frustration or sarcasm in his voice. There was concern...evident concern.

"You care about her, that much?" Dick asked, his undertone suggesting there was more to come.

"Yes, I do, but it's-"

"So do I! I'm going to defend her." and there it was. In his own mind, he didn't need Bruce to help protect her. He could do it himself. He could. He wanted to. And he would.

"You need my help. Nothing can happen to her-"

"I know!" the anger was raising in the teen's voice.

"No! You don't!" this time, the billionaire was matching the fury. Not something usually seen from this man. He was usually professional and collected when in these conversations.

"I don't understand your obsession-"

"It's not an obsession. It's a mission that I cannot fail." he said, but immediately regretted it. Dick took a step back and replayed the words in his head...had...had he heard that correctly?

"A...mission? Kori's a...mission?" he asked, looking Bruce dead in the eye and searching for more information on the slip-up that just made itself known. But you could see the regret on the man's face,

"I _have_ to keep her safe." he managed, performing a 'shame on you' in his head for having compromised such confidential information. But Dick narrowed his eyes,

"Why? Safe from who? Is someone after her?" he asked, suddenly desperate for answers.

"Not...Christ, I'd hope you wouldn't find out about this." but this made Richard's blood get even hotter,

"I have every damn right to know." he insisted, but his father shook his head and ran his hand through his hair,

"No. Your reckless obsession with her is what's bringing this out. You couldn't just leave her alone?!" Dick almost exploded,

"How am I-no. Don't change the subject. What's going on?!" Bruce thought for a moment and released a sigh...it's too late now to let what had been said lie. It was out in the open, at least to a point. And perhaps...letting his son know a little bit more would help him understand the depth of this predicament.

"...It wasn't coincidence that Korina came here for her foreign exchange vendetta." he began.

"...so what's going on?" Dick inquired, his words calm for the moment. The billionaire decided to ease into this,

"She's not a foreign exchange student." but Richard looked him over in slight disbelief,

"Than, wha-"

"She's heiress of her...country. They're at war. I volunteered to hide her here." this news hit the young man like a brick wall, and he stumbled back slightly as if dazed by shock.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this? She's...a princess?" he managed, almost not believing the words that were coming out of his own mouth. Bruce just heaved a sigh, hoping he could drop it now that he had more information than he started with. ...of course, he knew his son a bit better than that.

"Does it matter? It was strictly need-to-know information. And you didn't need to know." he tried stopping there...but of course, the ego sunk in,

"How can you possibly justify saying that?" Dick snapped. But this was Bruce's turf right now.

"You're too attached. Back off. You're going to put her in danger." part of him knew his mentor was possibly right...but he refused to listen to that voice in the back of his head. He cared too much.

"You've never had any problems with me dating before." he replied cockily, but he received a warning glare,

"One, you've never dated an heiress I'm protecting. Two, you've never dated at all. Have you ever seen the same girl for more than a week? You're a playboy, not a dater. And that's the only way to live when we have two faces." he explained. But Richard shook his head,

"That's not a way to live forever." ...that was his excuse? Yes, he made a valid point, but this wasn't a good enough one for the situation at hand.

"You're seventeen. That's not forever. And I want you away from Korina. You wouldn't listen without knowing, so now that you do?" he asked, hoping that he would finally consider it, even though he had his doubts.

Dick took a moment to think, and slumped against the nearest pillar. ...his Kori was a princess? Could this even be true, or was Bruce just saying whatever he needed to in order to get him away from her? ...but he quickly concluded that he wouldn't make something like this up. But...all this was a cover? She wasn't really just...studying in Gotham? She wasn't really...who she said she was? She wasn't...what? Who was she, than?

"Is Kori even her real name?" he managed after a moment of silence. Bruce sighed and wasn't allowing him anymore of this knowledge... What he didn't know, wouldn't kill him. ...or, hell...if anything, it would probably help him, at this point.

"It's close enough. Don't change the subject. Stay away from her." but Dick swallowed...he didn't know what he was feeling at that moment...but he wasn't going to let his mentor win this ongoing battle with just a little bit of news.

"Ahh, see, I thought we'd settled this. Never. Gonna. Happen." he said with a half-forced smirk, before turning and walking away. Up the stairs and down the hallway, until he stopped at a memory...

_"Yes, flirting. I've talked to enough girls to know what flirting is, princess." he told her, his tone arrogant, and far too over confident for her taste. So in response, she stretched her foot forward and stepped down on his foot, catching him off from his balance and forcing him to start to fall. She didn't let him hit the ground though. Instead, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back up, surprising him exponentially with her lack of effort. Once she got him back onto his feet, she pulled him close to her, so that their faces were no more than three inches apart._

_"Let's get something straight, cowboy. You…do not call me princess." she told him, plainly, looking him dead in the eye as if that were his only warning._

Well, it was safe to say that that made sense to him now...

With a heavy sigh, he slammed his head into the wall, and played his conversation with Bruce over in his head,

"What on earth is going on here...?"

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...whoo, what do you think's gonna happen now?

I wanna hear your thoughts guys, let me know!

Hope to hear from you.


	49. Chapter 49: Date Prelude

QUICK update! :) Hope y'all enjoy. Kinda short, but hey...I'm kind of pleased with this one.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

A hesitant Kori stood at the door to her boyfriend's room, fiddling with her hair and trying to work up the courage to knock. It was Friday night, and she almost hadn't seen him since the night of his work party. ...it wasn't like him to be avoiding her like this. She wondered if something had happened with Bruce... He'd told her that she was being kept from school until next week...she didn't ask any questions. She trusted anything he had to tell her. But she couldn't help but wonder if it could have something to do with Dick's strange behavior towards her...

Whatever the case was, she refused to jump to conclusions. She hated when people assumed things about her...so she wouldn't do it to him. Instead, she slowly pulled her hand up to the door and tapped it against it a few times, until he looked up from the paperwork strewn across his desk, and swallowed.

"Kor...come in." he said...though he sounded tired, and she couldn't help but notice.

"Is...is everything okay?" she hated the strain in her voice...she hoped he didn't see the ache in her eyes. But hey, she earned it, didn't she? She always told herself 'don't get too close to anyone. And what did she do? But...she had to stop herself right there. Why was she being so presumptive? Instead she held her breath and watched the subtle shrug wriggle out of his shoulders,

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" but Kori frowned with his response... It disappointed her. It wasn't even a _good_ lie. But this gave her a little worry. Usually he put enough effort into it to make it believable. So she gave him a kind of "you-know-I-don't-believe-that" look, making him sigh and look her over, feeling the guilt bubble up in his chest.

"Yeah...I'm sorry...I know I haven't been that..._me_ the past day or two." he said, looking down to avoid seeing that look in her eye. But she sympathized, and walked in, approaching him, and settling herself into his lap, placing her hand on the side of his handsome face. The touch made his eyes meet hers, and she furrowed her brows in worry,

"Is everything okay?" she asked, but he was quick to brush this off. He didn't want to talk about it. He had been on edge since his conversation with Bruce, and knew if she pushed, he'd likely take it out on her.

"Yeah...just a rough couple of days." he excused, but she shook her head,

"Please talk to me...I haven't seen you like this before...what is going on?" she asked with that sweet sincerity that sent a chill down his spine. He didn't like not being able to talk to her...but right now was simply not the time...so he took a moment to look away from her pressing gaze, and released a sigh, shaking his head. She, however, wasn't letting this go quite so easily.

"You know you can trust me..." she soothed...but this made Richard look at her, almost frozen for a moment in bitterness,

"Can I?" but with this inquiry, she sat back and looked him over through an unpleasantly surprised look.

"What?" she managed. She didn't even care to hide her confusion, she was obviously hurt by the doubt he was suddenly rubbing in her face. But his jaw clenched...she was just going to play innocent, he convinced himself. Like she always did. Like he'd always fallen for. It almost made him angry the way he fell for it all so easily, without so much as hesitation.

"Well, I mean there've been some things you're keeping from me. So why don't you talk?" he snapped, making her almost flinch.

"Richard, I...what are you talking about?" she asked, looking him over with all the innocence in the world...only fueling the fire cooking behind his eyes.

"I know who you are." he hissed, making her freeze in slight fear, until she gathered the strength to raise to her feet and take a step back. She searched his face for more than what he was giving her to go on... How he was suddenly...angry at her? Pointing fingers? ...being...cruel?

"W-what?" she asked, swallowing, and waiting to see just what he knew.

"Bruce told me." Dick spat in a short growl. For a moment, Kori's heart sunk, but she swallowed hard and tried to regain composure. Bruce knew how confidential her situation was...she trusted him to keep it between the two of them, and perhaps Alfred-if need be.

"Told you what?" she asked, playing dumb. But this made her boyfriend growl and slam his fist hard onto the desk, making her jump and take another step back. Even though she knew he wouldn't hurt her...she was frightened by his aggression. But he looked her dead in the eye,

"Damnit, Kori, you know very well what. The fact that you're next in line for the thrown! That you're here as a guise, for protection!" as he explained, she felt the sting spread through her body...

"Bruce told you that?" she felt betrayed... But apparently, so did Dick, because he rose to his feet and took a couple steps toward her.

"Yeah. Yeah, he did. Funny I had to hear it from him, huh?" he asked cruelly. She could feel the tears pricking her eyes, and looked away to hide them...but Richard didn't seem to like that. "No. Don't do that, look at me." he said, grabbing her face and pulling it to face him, roughly,

"He told me you were hiding here. What are you hiding from?" he yelled, making her squeeze her eyes shut, forcing a tear down her face,

"It doesn't matter." she answered, voice trembling...as was the rest of her. But he didn't even seem to register it. He felt so wronged by her, he just wanted to put his fist through the wall. And she was flat out trying to push this away as if it were nothing.

"Yes it does!" but a bitter smirk met her lips,

"Why don't you ask _Bruce_ than?" she asked...slightly petty of a remark, she scolded herself. But she was hurt. ...maybe he was too, though.

"Because I want to hear it from you." he said, this time slightly more calm, until she turned her face away. Than he grit his teeth and pulled it back, "Look at me. Why didn't you tell me?" he hammered again...but the pain he was pushing into her jaw-intentional or not-made her pull away and shake her head, unraveling as she found herself free,

"Because I didn't want to, okay?!" she replied, voice raised in defense, as the tears slowly began rolling down her cheeks. It took everything she had not to fall to her knees in sheer defeat. Instead, she took a step back, trying to grant herself balance, as she slowly managed to look back up at him, releasing a silent sob and shaking her head,

"Because I loved the way you looked at me." she whispered softly, looking away again and swallowing the lump in her throat. But studying her, Richard felt his body relax...what was he doing? He could see the pain he was causing her... Yeah, he felt betrayed, but...he was getting angry at her? This wasn't the way he'd wanted this to go. But he needed answers. Why would she have kept something this intense from him? ...but he just wanted the tears to stop this specific moment.

"I...Kori..." but she shook her head and looked up at him,

"What does that even matter? ...I was normal to you. Do you get that? For once in my life, I was...normal." she felt pathetic, standing there, pleaded her case, in tears, in front of the man she...the man she was dating. But he swallowed and took another couple steps toward her,

"You were never normal, Kori...that's what I love about you." he said...but she couldn't bare to look at him. She turned her face away completely...though he couldn't stand it. He reached forward, touching her face once more, and slowly-gently-directing her eyes to meet his. And reluctantly, they did.

"You mean more to me than anything...than anyone. You know that?" he asked. But she swallowed and shook her head as he used his thumb to scrape a tear from her cheek,

"That's not necessarily a good thing..." Richard tried to force something of a comforting smile,

"I don't see any downside." his words were soothing...but naïve, and she knew it. He probably did too...there were risks. They both knew this. On both ends...he could hurt her, she could hurt him. She had to leave soon. He had a double life. She knew he was just trying to make her feel better.

"Richard-" she began, but he didn't let her finish. Instead, he kissed her. ...whether it was because he needed to see the tears disappear...or perhaps it was because he didn't want light shined on all the ways he was wrong right now. ...but slowly, he pulled away, and looked her in the eye,

"I just wanna know what's going on with you." ...she studied him for a moment, and found herself getting lost in the deep oceanic blue of his eyes... Part of her felt warm...comfortable...protected...

"Richard...I..." but she stopped when she realized that she'd let her guard slide down to her feet. She had to stop...everything was so precarious, she could almost see her entire life balancing atop a very sharp mountain like you see in the cartoons. But her silence left Richard reaching for more words. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and held onto her face tighter...though still as delicately as he could manage.

"What?" he asked, hoping to pull for more. But she swallowed and pulled away from him, adverting her eyes, and shaking her head,

"We...I need to start getting ready. Rachel's going to be here any minute, and I told her I would help her get ready..." and with that, she disappeared through his bedroom door, leaving him standing there, his hand still up as if reaching for her... There were so many things running through his head, and all he wanted was answers...answers from her.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Yuppppp, pretty sure y'all hate me for that;)

But the next chapter is Rachel and Gar's date, so stay tuned!

Please tell me what you thought.


	50. Chapter 50: Quit Apologizing

Alrighty...hope y'all like it. This one was a bit tough for me to write, because Rachel is probably my least favorite character, and writing about their relationship isn't really motivating to me..

Still, I tried, and I still think it turned out cute. So enjoy.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Rachel and Kori were sitting in the redhead's room around 7 p.m. that Friday night. The tall girl had her friend seated in front of her mirror, and looked her over as if studying a great canvas,

"So...any idea what you wanted to do with your hair?" she asked, finally, breaking the silence between the two of them. Rachel looked up with a 'really?' kind of frown,

"Like I've put any thought into that." she sarcastically hissed. But Kori wasn't fooled by any means. She gave her the every popular 'I-know-you-better-than-that' look,

"Now you and I _both_ know that's not true." ...the dark girl blushed sheepishly,

"Can you curl it like you do yours?" she asked hopefully. But the redhead looked a little confused,

"I don't curl my hair?" she said with a lack of understanding. But Rachel sat back in the chair and folded her arms, offering a very flat expression,

"Bologna." but Kori just shook her head,

"I straighten it. It's naturally curly...and a pain in the butt." she explained with a slight laugh. Her short friend looked at her reflection for a moment, in slight disappointment,

"Oh...well that's out." she muttered, making the redhead feel slightly sympathetic. She allowed herself a moment of thought, looking between her friend, and the beauty accessories in her arsenal...until she came across her hair straightener with a slight smirk,

"Actually, I have an idea..."

About half an hour later, the two girls made their way down the stairs to meet the boys who were waiting on them. Rachel was evidently nervous, and the beautiful redhead led her to the entrance of the kitchen, but gave her a signal to wait there in the doorway as she peaked her head in to look at the status of their company. When she discovered that the boys were lost in their own conversation, she cleared her throat loudly, catching their gazes,

"Are you ready to see your date?" she asked the short little blonde boy, watching his face light up in excitement,

"Finally!" he exclaimed, taking a few steps toward her with a grin as wide as the entire room. The redhead smiled and gently pulled her short friend into view...and Gar's eyes slightly widened when he saw her. Never had she been seen wearing make-up...but Kori did a wonderful job highlightling her facial features with undertones and shimmer gloss. Her hair had been waved to curve around her face, and she had small hoop earrings in and gave her just enough sparkle.

"Dude! You look awesome!" he shouted, making her face turn a deep red.

"When did you want to lea-" but she was cut off by a sharp elbow in her side. Kori gave her a look, and she rolled her eyes, "I mean...thank you." she managed, trying to fake a smile. But it was enough for her date. He grinned at her with the sweetest look,

"You're welcome. But sure, we can go now." he told her. Kori noticed her boyfriend's eyes locked on her, but kept her focus on the new couple in front of her,

"You two have fun." she told them, as if cheering them on. Gar turned back and gave her another thankful smile,

"Definitely!" and with that, they disappeared out the door and onto their first date.

**-At the movie theater- **

It was about halfway through the movie, and the scene playing between the two teenagers was similar to that of your stereotypical awkward first date. There were glances passed between them, but no one made a move nor said anything. Rachel was almost relieved by this...she wasn't sure how'd she would react in that kind of situation, anyway. But Gar was getting a little frustrated with himself. He'd been trying to wrangle up the courage he needed for any kind of move, but kept losing it whenever he glanced over at her. Of course, the more he thought about it, the less scared he grew... He was used to saying or doing the wrong thing around her and receiving some kind of irritated glare in return.

So here goes nothing, he decided. Inhaling sharply and releasing a fake yawn, dramatically-if not a little obviously-stretching his arm in slow motion around her until it rested on her shoulders. He allowed himself a moment of 'yayness' but when she looked over at him with a slightly crooked brow, he felt almost a sudden panic rise in his gut. Okay...he'd made her uncomfortable...

"Yeah, sorry." he excused himself before slowly pulling his arm back into his own lap. But Rachel looked at him with slight disappointment.

"What are you doing?" she asked, as if it was a rhetorical question. Confusion burst immediately onto his face, and he thought about it for a moment to himself, hoping not to say the wrong thing, until he came up with:

"Huh?" Rachel rolled her eyes,

"It's cold in here. Put that back." she snapped, with a slightly joking tone. Gar was instantaneously relieved, and grinned, proudly stretching his arm back around her with confidence this time around. His date, on the other hand, looked away for a moment...but that was only to hide the crack of a smile that crawled across her face.

Whatever the case was...the odd little teenager was almost glowing inwardly as he counted this as a mental victory. He'd made his first move on the date, and the movie wasn't even over yet. He felt pretty cool right now. But as he reached forward to grab a handful of popcorn, the pretty girl next to him was doing the same thing, and their hands collided. His confidence shriveled slightly, and he pulled back a bit,

"Sorry." he said. But Rachel only smirked.

"Do me a favor." she began, waiting for him to nod in response, before she continued. "Quit apologizing." she answered with a slight 'ha' in her voice. He grinned...he could do that. And for the rest of the movie, he leaned into her happily. It wasn't until the credit began rolling across the screen, in fact, that either of them had noticed just how close they'd gotten to each other. Granted...once they _had_ noticed, the both played dumb until the lights of the theater came back on, and the couple turned red and pulled away, slightly embarrassed.

Following the crowd, the two teenagers began making their way out into the lobby. It was so loud as everyone chattered about their opinion of the movie, that neither of them could really hear themselves think. So they stood there, awkwardly looking each other over, as Gar waited for more people to leave, and Rachel waited for him to say something. ...about thirty more seconds passed, before the short boy decided it best to just talk over the crowd, and shrugged,

"So, uh...hungry?" she smirked,

"I could go for some pizza."

And that's when they found themselves at the pizza parlor. The aroma that seeped from the building made even Rachel eager to get inside and eat...so she began walking up to the door. But, of course, that's when her date cut her off, stepping right in front of her. At first, she almost thought it was rude, until he pulled one of the big glass doors open, and held it wide open, evidently waiting on her entrance. This surprised the dark girl...and she looked him over, a little impressed.

"Wow, didn't know you were a gentleman." she teased in her usual cold tone. But he just grinned as he followed her inside. He knew it was meant as an undercover compliment.

"Well, even I have secrets." he told her proudly, watching as she smirked in response. This time though, he felt a little cool. And didn't give her time to manifest a comeback, walking up to the cash register and taking out his wallet,

"Two, please." he told the girl behind the counter, as he ran his credit card through the slider. Once the transaction was complete, he picked up a couple plates and handed one to his date, gesturing her down the long line of various pizzas.

She allowed him to take the lead, and watched as he covered his plate in various veggie-only slices. She wasn't a big meat-eater in the first place...so it wasn't a huge loss for following his influence of eating vegetarian tonight. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by Gar. And he was touched, to say the least...if not a little guilt felt for-in his mind-holding her back from what she wanted to do.

"You don't have to do that just for me, Rae." he told her. For a moment, she felt like explaining her questionable taste for meat in general...but decided against it. This time, managing an ironic looking smile,

"Can't make you puke on our first date, now, can I?" she asked...but her choice of words made him crack a huge grin,

"Our _first_ date, huh?" he asked as they sat down at one of the booths. Rachel rolled her eyes,

"Just eat your pizza." she snapped gently. He knew her well enough not to be insulted by this, and shrugged,

"I can do that." he told her, sinking his teeth into a massive bite and looking up at her,

"So what kind of music do you like?" he asked with a mouth full of food. This time, the dark girl couldn't help but laugh. And not her usual 'hmmph' and that was it. This was an actual sound that came from her throat.

"Gross." she commented. He just grinned and swallowed his food,

"But really, what kind of music do you like?" he asked again, this time meaning it. Rachel thought for a moment...finally shrugging,

"I don't listen to much music... I guess Evanescence-type stuff if you had to put a label on it." she mumbled, not caring to really answer this question. She hated small talk...

"Oh, I like that band." he said. But she rose a brow,

"You don't have to pretend to like the same things I do." he thought for a moment,

"I like Blink 182..." he said softly...she nodded, trying not to laugh in amusement, as she took a bite of her pizza.

"They're not bad. Little too happy for me, but not bad." he smirked...at least she was trying.

"Well...what kind of movies do you-"

"Is that really what you want to talk about?" she cut him off, heaving a slight sigh of irritation. He swallowed and looked her over,

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to read her eyes to figure out what it is he _should_ be talking about. But she sighed again,

"Or you could play dumb. That works too. Horror movies." she muttered. And he knew he should change the subject, but shining to light that they had a little something in common made him a tad excited,

"Me too!" But this time, instead of getting frustrated, Rachel smirked...she found it almost cute, the way he got so happy about such simple things. This didn't change the fact, however, that she didn't want the small talk to go on any further.

"Alright, my turn. Why ask me out?" she asked. But he looked her over slightly confused...if not a little bit hurt by her question,

"What do you mean? I thought it was going well..." he said. ...she felt kind of bad for a moment, but refused to let it show. Instead, she shook it off and shrugged,

"I didn't say it wasn't. But you know I don't want a boyfriend right now." but even as she explained this, it went in one ear and out the other.

"Well, you don't know that. I can be a good boyfriend, if you let me try." he said...it was clear he was a little determined in this.

"Oh yeah? And how's that?" she asked...pretty convinced that he couldn't say anything of any credibility to her point of view, but nonetheless, waiting for response. He took this as his time to shine, and looked at her proudly,

"Well, cause I'm good at a lot of things." he began, making her raise a coy brow,

"Like what?" his hazel eyes met hers with mischief,

"Well, I'm an awesome kisser." he said, grinning like a madman. Rachel was surprised with this...she hadn't seen this comment coming out of his hat.

"And what makes you think that?" she asked, not really expecting an answer...though she knew he'd give one anyway.

"Well, Terra always..." but he trailed off, when the blonde girl's name slipped through his lips. Rachel looked him over and frowned,

"Word to the wise. Mentioning your _ex_-girlfriend on a date isn't really a good idea." she warned. He swallowed and looked down,

"I know...but I am a good kisser." he tried to lighten the subject with a grin.

"_Right._" she told him, with a slightly narrow gaze.

"I am." he insisted.

"Mhmm." she shrugged.

"I am!" he whined, before quickly leaning across the table and pressing his lips to hers, "See?" he asked, pulling away, leaving a wide-eyed Rachel sitting there. She didn't know what to say...for the first time tonight, she was the one at a loss for words. Of course...her silence made Gar question every second of the last moment, before he managed to clear his throat,

"S-Sorry..." he managed. But once she came to her senses, she looked up at him,

"What did I tell you earlier?" she asked, leaving him momentarily clueless as he tried to remember. She took the opportunity to paint her face with one of her famous smirks, "Quit apologizing." she said...and this time, she kissed _him. _

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

So...cute enough for y'all? I don't know...I've never really written anything Rae/Gar, so...I was improvising. Truth be told, I've been in a very angst-y mood lately, so fluff was a bit of a challenge.

But it's proof that I love y'all!

Please tell me what you thought.


	51. Chapter 51: Break Up?

Alrighty, next chapter...it's a very short one, I know.

But I have the next one ready to post, so after I get some feedback from this one, I'll put the next one up. Please tell me what you think.

Please read and review.  
>Flamers and praise welcome!<p>

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Later in the evening, when Rachel and Gar finally arrived home from their date, the four teens sat on the large king-sized bed in Richard's room. They were all having a grand time, laughing at 'Two And A Half Men' reruns, and making comments about how their nights had gone. Taking turns cracking at each other...telling jokes... To be honest, it was the first time they'd all hung out outside of school. And it was clear that they all silently agreed upon it being a good idea...and likely one to be reenacted.

The show turned to commercial, and the small group of friends looked around from one another. No one said anything...but you could tell it was up for debate, whose turn it was to break the silence. Kori opened her mouth to say something, but Rachel's phone seemed to beat her to it, ringing loudly, and bringing down the energy a hair. She pulled it out of her pocket and checked the screen with a frown,

"It's my dad. I'll be right back." she said with slight droll, as she slid off the massive bed and made her way into the hallway for the privacy to answer her call. Gar seemed a little disappointed by her lack of presence, but the pretty redhead lit up, using this moment to her benefit, and looking between her friend and boyfriend with a smile,

"While she's gone, I'm going to go see if the cookies are done!" she sang happily, leaping up, and prancing cutely out of the room. She made it about halfway down the hall, before she realized that she'd forgotten to offer the boys a glass of milk with their cookies. So she turned around and made her way back to the room, peaking in to make sure she wasn't interrupting.

"What?" she saw Richard ask their short little friend. His tone was a little...confused? Or offended? She wonder what she'd missed out on. But Gar gave a fake pout and looked at him,

"Come on! You owe me...I did hook you up with Kori, remember? And that wasn't easy." he said, jokingly... Kori, completely taken off guard, if not befuddled by this comment, turned hopefully to look to her boyfriend who was...chuckling? She felt her heart sink...

"W-what...?" she managed, making the boys aware of her presence. The site of her, standing in his doorway, with a hurt look on his face, made the smile drop from his. He suddenly was washed with a fusion of regret and panic, and rose to his feet, looking her over, and trying to think of something to say to her.

"Kori-"

"You used Gar to get to me?" she asked in disbelief, feeling tears prick her eyes, even though she tried to keep them at bay. Richard, on the other hand, shook his head, trying desperately to find some way to recover from this,

"Baby, it's not like that! It's...I just..." he paused, unable to find the words.

"H-how could you?" she asked, rhetorically, before turning away from him, and breaking into a run as soon as she was out of his line of site. She felt betrayed...hurt...shocked... She couldn't think straight at that moment. Between what happened earlier between the two of them, and than what she just found out... As soon as she turned the corner, she collapsed and broke into a slight fit of tears.

Kori hadn't noticed her friend standing outside the door, of course. Rachel stared after her for a moment, weighing on whether or not to go after her and see if she was alright. The voice in the back of her head told her that it was a better idea to just give her a little space, so she walked back into the room, sliding her phone in her pocket. But when she looked up, she met a sight she thought she'd never see. Richard Grayson actually had...tears in his eyes? She was shocked...

"What...is going on?" she asked curiously. Gar looked away, his face painted with guilt. But Dick looked at her hopelessly, shaking his head as if in slow motion...

"I...I think Kori just broke up with me."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Dun dun dun?

Please tell me what y'all thought.


	52. Chapter 52: What Do I Do?

New chapter!

Hmm...not sure what else to say. But I hope y'all enjoy.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Sitting in Chemisty class, Richard looked around the room eagerly for the face of his beautiful girlfriend. He didn't see her yet...but there was still a minute or so before it began. He just wanted to finally have a chance to talk to her. Since what happened after Rachel and Gar's date on Friday, she'd been avoiding him like the plague. She got up extra early and made sure she started walking to school before he even got up...he hadn't seen her this morning. According to Alfred, she didn't even make coffee today... It was tearing him up. He didn't want her to find out like that.

To be honest, he didn't think she needed to know at all. He didn't think it was a big deal... Yeah, he'd kinda gotten the inside word on her...but every guy nowadays did that. He didn't lie to her. He didn't manipulate her. Did he? ...it didn't matter. Right now, he just had to talk to her before anything else. But the final bell rang...and while Gar scurried in at the last possible second, slipping into the seat beside the handsome former playboy...Kori was no where to be found. He knew she was skipping...skipping to avoid him.

He didn't pay the least bit of attention to anything the teacher had to say. He was just counting down the minutes until the class was over with... Part of him wanted to blame his short little friend for having spilled the beans. But he knew that wasn't fair. It was his own problem. He hadn't told her. He was the one who earned his predicament...and unfortunately, that's probably the way Kori saw it too...

-RING-

Finally. He was free of this class... Without hesitation, he grabbed his books off his desk and began racing out of the room. He'd forgotten his bag on the chair, but didn't even consider turning back to get it. He had to catch her before she slipped out of here.

He set his eyes on darting through the halls, looking for her auburn hair through the slowly growing crowd. After turning the corner, he saw her...leaning into her locker with her face against the cold metal. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he made his way toward her...speed in his steps, and nerves running cirlcles around him..until she caught site of him, and immediately turned the other way.

"Kori, wait!" he called after her, quickly catching up, and grabbing her hand to stop her. The redhead froze and looked away for a moment, trying to keep her composure...but the silence was killing him,

"Please, just talk to me." he almost begged, looking her over a million times and hoping for any kind of salvation in her eyes. Though...she looked just about as lost as he was, even though she was trying her damnedest to come off as if she were perfectly calm.

"I really don't have anything to say just yet." she muttered, locking gazes for a moment. She hoped he wasn't going to pry...though she knew him well enough by now to know for fact that this wouldn't be one of those cases. ...she wasn't even sure it mattered. Kori knew that it was _him_ that she cared so dearly for. Who he was...regardless of how he got her to get to know him. But...truth be told, she was terrified. Terrified of leaping back into the full trust she had for him. It felt almost as though she had been tricked into commitment by a tag team of him and Gar... She felt vulnerable. Manipulated. Almost...trapped by him. She needed space to get over the sting. But he was almost writhing in his shoes.

"Just...nothing?" he asked, softly. The pain in his oceanic eyes was evident...and cut her even deeper. But she couldn't give in to her emotions. She wanted to cool off, and look at this from an unbias standpoint.

"Please...I'm not ready to talk yet." she reasoned tiredly... But her words slapped him in the face.

"Well, I am...you've left me hanging since Friday, Kor. You've gotta have something to say." Kori wanted to take away the edge in his words. She didn't want him to hurt. Especially not like she was right now... She also, however, didn't trust her feelings...so she decided she'd stick with the facts.

"Well...you got my best friend to help manipulate me, so you could make a move." it came out a little harsher than she'd intended for it to...but maybe that's the way it needed to be right now? To the point...give him something to think about... But he felt hurt by this. Rose his guard a little and looked her over...why did she have to be like this? She was usually so understanding...

"Only because you were too up tight to give me the time of day in the first place!" he snapped, regretting his words the instant they slipped from his tongue.

"Babe...I didn't mean it like that." he tried recovering, but Kori took a step back, freeing her hand from his grasp. Taking in a deep breath, she looked away and nodded slowly, processing his words through her mind,

"Yes you did...but it's okay. You're entitled to your own opinion." she spoke almost coldly, as she turned to walk away. Richard swallowed and shook his head, following her as she walked, and trying to find the words to redeem himself. He knew she needed space. The voice in the back of his head even told him to stop walking. But he couldn't do it...he needed her. And he was...scared, to be honest. Scared that...if he gave her space, he'd lose her. If he let her walk away right now...she'd be gone.

She turned the corner quickly and sped up her pace, hoping to gain some distance...of course, she didn't. He matched hers and added to it, growing closer. Gulping, she turned another corner, not even sure where she was going...but she was trying to get there. Suddenly, she saw a way out... The voice in the back of her mind was telling her to stop and go the other way...every alarm in her head was going off, trying to stop her from what she was about to do. But it would get her away from Richard... So she approached her schoolmate and swallowed,

"Hey, X...you free?" she asked, her nerves carrying through her tone and peaking the interest of the dark boy. He looked the gorgeous girl over with an almost dog-like gaze,

"Well, hey there, cutie. I would say so. What do you need?" he asked eagerly. Richard stepped forward, shaking his head out of sheer reflex, as the nervousness was boiling up in his veins.

"Kori, get away from him..." he warned, praying she'd listen to him. ...but she didn't. She ignored her better judgment and avoided looking back to her boyfriend, swallowing the dryness taking over her mouth,

"A ride home, if you don't mind." she managed, fighting the urge she had to turn right around and just crawl right into Richard's arms. The look X gave his rival made her stomach flip, but the grin crept across his face before she had the option to say anything else,

"I'm sure I can manage that. Are you ready now?" he asked, almost charmingly. She swallowed and thought this over one more time. She couldn't find a reason to go with him...nothing made it a good idea. But glancing back at Dick, she felt a little more of a push to follow through. This was the better option, she told herself, squeezing her eyes shut, and slowly turning back to Xavier,

"Ready." she confirmed, but Richard shook his head violently, and reached forward,

"Kori, don't-"

"Butt out, Grayson. She's with me now." X snapped, cutting him off and taking Kori's hand, pulling her toward his bike and out of her boyfriend's midst. The voices in her head were screaming...but she beat them down and went with him, refusing to look back, even though she felt as if she wanted to cry.

Watching in horror, Dick felt as if his world were falling apart. He wanted to scream as the panic erupted...not Xavier. She didn't know what he did to her...and she didn't know about the other identity he carried. ...she couldn't go with him. Maybe he should follow...? ...no...that'll just push her further away from him. ...wait...wat was he saying?! She could get mad...he could live with that. But there's no way he could stand anything happening to her.

He stood there hopelessly, watching his precious Kori mount the bike behind his greatest enemy, and disappear down the road.

"Kori...what do I do?"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

So...y'all probably maybe sorta hate me for this chapter? I'll have the next one up really soon, because it's SUPER short. But please tell me what y'all think!


	53. Chapter 53: The Text

So...it's very short. But I hope y'all like it.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

He paced hopelessly by the door, waiting for her to walk in. The clock was nearing 9:30...she said she'd only wanted a ride home. What was taking so long? It had been over five hours, now... Where could she be?

Maybe he needed to relax... For all he knew, they'd stopped for food and wound up talking for a while... Of course, that would be a terrible thing. Xavier and Kori _talking_ over food? Or coffee? He didn't want to think of that. But it was better than the alternative. ...why couldn't he have told her about his duel identity the other night? Warned her in advance? Told her just how horrible he was? ...maybe he should've even told her about what he tried doing to her at the party...

But that one, he was on the fence about... How could she have taken that? He didn't want her to hurt. He didn't want to cause her pain. If she didn't remember, than why tell her that she was almost raped? ...maybe she had the right to know, but she didn't need that kind of burden to deal with. But if he would've said something, than she would've known how bad he was for her to be around. Maybe she wouldn't be gone right now...

"Fuck!" he screamed, punching the wall by the main entrance, and cracking the plaster with a fist-shaped crater. Bruce would kill him for that later...but for now...the only thing that mattered was her. He'd called her about an hour ago, but she didn't pick up. ...that didn't necessarily mean anything though...he doubted she would, anyway. But he couldn't stop the churning in his gut...couldn't stop hoping she would be here any minute...walk through that door...

He wanted to imagine her walking in, happier than anything to see him... That she would wrap her arms around him and cling to him...tell him everything was alright...everything was forgiven. She'd be safe...and they'd be alright. He could tell her just how much she meant to him...that he didn't know if he could live without her...that she made his world spin...that she gave light to his life. That...that she _was_ his life. God, he couldn't take it anymore...he was desperate. Pacing and letting his mind wander was like his own personal torture. He needed to know...needed her here... So he pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed out:

_'Baby, I'm sorry...please come home. I'll give you space. I won't bother you. I won't even talk to you until you're ready. But please come home. I'm worried about you.'_

Reading it over, he swallowed and sent it. Hopefully she'd read it, decide she was being unreasonable...that she didn't need to be mad anymore...that it wasn't worth it. That being with him was all that mattered. That she didn't need to hide behind Xavier to mask her hurt over the situation... Why didn't he stop her? Even if it made her temporarily **hate** him! Why didn't he keep her from getting on that bike? He couldn't get over the way he just stood there and watched her disappear...

-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-

His phone called out to him. His heart skipped a beat as he unlocked the screen and saw 'message from Kor' across the top. He didn't waste any time opening it.

_'4547 Drearer Dr. Suit 113, 10 pm, if you ever want to see her again.'_

...he felt as if the ground were caving in beneath him. What had X done...? What was he doing to her right now? ...or...no. He couldn't think about that. He couldn't afford it.

It was time to suit up.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

So...short, but BAM, right?

Please tell me what you thought!

The more you review, the sooner I'll update:)


	54. Chapter 54: Too Late?

So...I don't know why I had him show up at Nightwing in this chapter, when Richard was the one who was given her location But...it is what it is, right? Alas, here's the new chapter. Hope y'all like it!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Nightwing found his heartbeat echoing through the empty streets and alleys, as he dismounted his bike. Even though his fear was expanding by the second, he double checked the address he stood in front of, and took a sharp breath, wasting no time to approach the large broken-down-looking warehouse that took home at this location. ...cliche, he couldn't help but notice. For a moment, as his hand grasped the metal handle of the broad door, he wondered if he should sneak in through the back and create a plan with this... But he couldn't bare the extra time that would take. Kori was in there. Nothing else mattered. He had to go in there and get to her. Save her. He just had to save her.

So without another thought, he threw open the door and walked past a large stack of metal sheets. There were boards over all the windows, and every wall was rusted and weathered. He looked around warily, through a small maze-like arrangement of debris and old boxes, until he found himself in the wide open middle of the old building...where X stood, evidently waiting for him...looking at him, arms crossed, with a smirk that made his skin crawl,

"Oh now...what would this little birdie be doing all alone in a place like this?" he asked, glistening with a morbid pride that almost inflicted immediate panic on the hero. Come on, Dick, you know this ploy. You're the expert with it. Portray a strong veil of overconfidence. Leave no room for traceable weakness...make your enemy nervous. Make them question the chance they have against you. Make them weak. He knew this game. He knew this gave _very_ well.

"Cut the shit, X, I'm just here for Kori." he growled, angrily. For the first time in battle, he didn't bother hiding his emotions. Everything was on the table, anyway. The hints? All the little things he'd say? Richard suspected X knew his identity. And even if he did or didn't...this would end tonight. He wasn't going to tiptoe... He didn't have time for that. He came for her. He was going to leave with her. But something about his enemy's knowing grin sent an unwelcome chill straight through Richard's bones.

"Ah...that makes sense." the wicked boy began...but he was being watched warily. Something about his tone told the young hero that there was more weighing on his tongue than just that. X began slowly creeping toward his assailant, trying to add as much anxiety on as he could, and giving just enough pause to tighten the atmosphere.

"But, you see, there might be a small problem with that..." he managed to hiss through a slightly proud smirk. Dick felt his heart sink into the soles of his steel toe boots, but recovered quickly..._don't let him see your fear_. He remembered Bruce's words from early training...and this just seemed like the time they needed to be put into action.

"Yeah? What'd you do?" he asked, cautiously, taking a step towards the east wall so that the distance between the two of them didn't falter. But this instantly turned into the two young men nearly circling each other in showdown,

"Well...to be honest, your little girlfriend may not be in the best shape to be taken home." ...no. Dick's first hope was that this was a bluff. She was fine...she had to be. X was too 'into' her to let anything bad happen. But the thought of it still built a thick cloud of rage over his judgment, and he released a loud growl,

"You son of a bitch!" he roared, charging towards his enemy like a freight train. With the strength of his fury, and the adrenaline drilling through his veins, he felt invincible. Showering X with punches and kicks, he didn't even care if they hit or not. He wanted to imagine tearing him apart...and it showed. The villain could do nothing but hold a block in front of his face and core, as Nightwing began backing him into a wall with his blows.

"My apprentice was right... Your anger is both your strength and your weakness." came a voice that tore the two of them from the moment, and brought them to attention.

"Who are you?" Dick asked grudgingly, keeping a close eye on X, as he tried to gain some ground on what was going on. If this was two against one...he was angry enough to give it a go.

"The name's Slade dear boy." the strange man spoke, making the hero flinch. Slade? A chill ran down his spine as he remembered a particular nightmare Kori had had sort of recently. And in that dream, he had died. ...died at the hand of a man named _Slade_.

"What did you do to Kori?" he asked, trying to sound strong-if not threatening. ...but his desperation sounded clearly, and dumped pride into Slade's already overbearing confidence.

"Your girlfriend? Well, _I _haven't done anything...not yet. I allowed my apprentice his fun with her first, on the grounds she was still alive for your arrival. It was his reward for bringing her to me." ...what did he mean by that? ...the questions swirling in his head tied a knot in his stomach that was so big, he almost couldn't breathe. There were a million and one emotions running like a current through his body...but the voice in the back of his head-maybe it was his...maybe it was Bruce's-told him to lay low. Don't piss these guys off...you don't know where your girl is. They do.

"Just give her to me...I'll do anything you want." he managed, feeling defeated before the battle had even begun. But Slade chuckled,

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." he taunted...but this was tempting Richard to spill his anger-and in high hopes, this man's blood-across the floor. He grit his teeth so tightly, they could've shattered.

"If you hurt her...I swear to you-"

"Yeah, yeah... Already heard that spiel from your girl. Like two hours ago. Spare us that 'oh, please don't hurt her' bullshit." X cut him off. ...but these words stung him. ...she'd been...oh god, what did he do to her? To have her begging for _his_ safety? '**...stop. Dick, you're not going to get anywhere by placing your tail between your legs.**' he scolded mentally. He had to act like he was on top of this...even _if_ he was hopelessly on the bottom.

"Just tell me where she is. Show her to me. Just show me she's okay." he struggled to steady his voice...but it didn't matter. Slade was in complete control of the situation. And no one in the room even dared to doubt that.

"I never said she was 'okay'." he corrected with what Dick imagined to be a sly grin under his strange metallic mask. Trying not to panic, the hero opened his mouth to reject, but the 'innocent' shrug of Red-X made him stop.

"Like I said...she's not exactly in the best shape for you to take her home." he explained, before turning to a large door that Dick hadn't even noticed. His heart pumped as he watch his rival push open the large steel panel to reveal something that made his heart sink. He felt the blood leave his face as he looked her over hopelessly,

"Kori..."

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Cliffie! ...please don't kill me!

Please tell me what you thought!

I should warn y'all that I'm flying across the country this weekend, so the next chapter probably won't be up until Sunday or Monday.

But if y'all like this chapter THAT much, I might just have to put the new one up before I leave haha...  
>Either way, I love y'all! So please give me feedback.<p> 


	55. Chapter 55: I Really Am Sorry About This

Bam. New chapter. Please tell me what y'all think!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Kori..." he managed, as he laid eyes on her unconscious figure, strewn among the cold concrete. Her back was facing him, so he couldn't see much of her...but the small pool of blood that surrounded her did a decent enough job at filling him in... The small red smears on various spots of the floors and walls, also painted him-quite literally-a picture of what torment she'd undergone the past couple hours. Richard felt panic rise in his chest, as he hopelessly sunk into a reality that he didn't want to be in.

All he wanted to do was run to her. Pull her into his arms and carry her away to safety. What had they done to her...? What kind of shape was she in? What were her injuries? That was a lot of blood... He wanted to rip them apart...but for once, anger wasn't his first emotion. Right now, it was fear. Helplessness. He needed to get her out of here...he just needed her to be okay. He couldn't lose her... She meant more to him than anything in the world...and Slade seemed to know that. Studying the teenage hero, he allowed him to study her a moment longer, before tearing a crude laugh into the stale air,

"So you agree we need to come to an understanding." he stated, obviously proud of his devious creation. He had one of Gotham's famous caped crusaders virtually on his knees, helpless...defeated, without so much as a fight. It felt like a masterpiece...and he could even still have fun with it.

"Just...just let her go." the hero almost _pleaded_. But X smirked,

"Not gonna happen, Dickie." he hissed. Richard flinched. ...he'd suspected X knew who he was...but when it actually came from his mouth, he felt almost as if there was a deep blade plunged into his already withering confidence. This couldn't be happening... Kori had fallen victim to _his_ enemies. His identity had been discovered... And now he was trapped, outnumbered, and obviously outwitted.

"Just let her go." he managed again, almost inaudibly as he stared at her. Slade was amused by this...the evident weakness in his opponent fueled him to be merciless. Or..._more_ merciless.

"Why don't you step into my office?" he asked, before throwing a strong roundhouse kick into the small of Nightwing's back, and sending him a few feet into the direction of Kori. He landed almost on his knees, but failed to hold an upright position, tumbling to the ground. Ignoring the sting rippling through him, he began to lift himself up, looking up at his unconscious girlfriend, and feeling a little more motivation to fight. Or at least to stand.

"Why don't we look at what's at stake?" Slade began walking around Dick with the most devious of intentions. X had the kind of grin that made it almost impossible not to smash his face in.

"We have a very..._special_ girl. And a very skilled boy." Special? This made his head spin with questions. Richard looked over at her...yeah...in human regards, she most certainly was special. But how did that have any sort of value to these villains? It didn't make any sense... Unless they just wanted her for their physical enjoyment. And if that were the case, he would kill them. They wouldn't even get the chance to touch her.

"It's a choice I really don't want to make." Slade cut him off from continuing his mental ramble of threats. ...but it still didn't add up to him. There was something more to it...maybe they wanted her so they could use her against him? But...than why would she be special? It didn't add up... Why did he want her?

"Just let her go, Slade. I'll do anything you want." He said...honestly. He didn't know what they wanted her for...but he'd do absolutely anything he had to in order to keep that from happening.

"I'm afraid we would need more than just your word." the masked man spoke with his haunting slur. Nightwing was unsure how to approach this...what did he mean by that? More than just his word?

"Don't fall for it, Richard." Kori's weak voice broke out from the silent corner of the warehouse, bringing them all to attention as they turned to face her. She was half-sitting, her hands seemingly her only support, as she looked up at the hero with fear in her eyes. He didn't hesitate. For a moment, he forgot about the other two men in the room, and ran to her, crumbling to his knees beside her, and taking a supportive grasp upon her shoulders,

"Oh god, Kor...are you okay?" he began, until his eyes found the deep wound in her stomach. ...a slash of some sort. The flesh was torn clear open, and her shirt was entirely soaked in blood. He felt as if someone had just punched him clear in the gut,

"Oh, jesus..." was all he could manage, as he tried to figure out just how bad the damage was. She swallowed and shook her head, touching his shoulder weakly,

"I'm sorry, Richard...f-for everything..." but he shushed her instantaneously...all he cared about right now was getting her to safety... Apologies could be made later. This was his first priority. This was his only priority.

"How very touching." came Slade's voice in a cold rumble, reminding him of the dark man's presence. But the sight of what he'd done to his girlfriend ignited a new fire inside the young hero. Anger boiled inside him like a pot of water set to a thousand degrees.

"I don't know what you think you kno-"

"I know that your girlfriend's life is in our hands." Slade had been anticipating his anger, and viewed it as inspiration. Challenge. But Kori was more than capable of reading the antagonizing strain in the villain's voice. This was a game, she knew all too well. And Richard was only falling into the space needed for their check mate.

"Don't listen to him." she warned...but he was far too angry to hear her,

"How? I can call the cops with the press of a button. Have the two in cuffs, and have her on the way to the hospital in less than 5 minutes." he reasoned, proudly. But the reaction from the pair of villains wasn't as expected. He'd anticipated... He'd expected nothing. For them to shrug it off and act unphased. He didn't expect...excitement? Or eagerness?

"That sounds like a threat." X had asked with a little more spring in his voice than should have been there for any source of logic. It sounded as if this was exactly what he'd wanted to hear from the young hero. Kori grabbed Dick's hand in fear as Slade took a step forward,

"But what do you think will happen to the two of you in those five minutes?" he asked, looking the young couple over...and even though neither of them could see his face, they could imagine. Challenge. An upspoken 'I dare you'.

"You can't take us both." X taunted, stepping up next to his mentor, as if to show that they were there to fight. And to win. Richard thought for a moment, looking over at the damaged redhead, and than back to the nemeses hovering over him. He knew Red-X was right...he didn't stand a chance against both of them. ...for the first time, he cursed himself. _'Why didn't I listen to Bruce_?" He couldn't take his eyes off of Kori... All that mattered was her... And he'd put her in danger. A danger that he couldn't even save himself from.

"I can protect her until then." he finally stated, unsure if it were the truth or not...but knowing all too well that it was his ultimatum. Kori felt a surge of panic with these words. He stood no chance... She had faith in him. He was powerful. He could fight. But he stood no chance against both of these men. ...and the idea of him getting hurt-and getting hurt because of _her_ wellbeing? No. The idea just sent all the wrong emotions into her body. She shook her head frantically and felt the fear building in her gut,

"Richard, no-"

"Is that so?" Slade asked, before landing a strong kick clear into Richard's face, and sending him to the ground-pushing her down with him. She winced in pain, and struggled to sit up on her own,

"Stop it!" she screamed, but the villain had no trouble kicking her to the side, and reaching down for the hero, taking a tight grip on his throat, and lifting him up. He held him up for a moment and looked him over, scoffing in his face, and throwing him down roughly. Dick grunted, but wouldn't let the pain affect him for more than a moment. He started getting up, but felt something in the back of his head. The gasp from Kori told him it was a weapon. A gun, if he guessed correctly.

"Can you protect her if your brains are lying on the floor?" he asked, before triggering whatever weapon this was. He could hear it charging...an electric whirring that got higher in pitch by the seconds.

"Please!" Kori screamed again. Slade smirked from behind his mask,

"What a waste." the dark man hissed, hand tightening on the trigger. Dick squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look up at Kori, as much as he wanted her to be the last thing he saw...he couldn't haunt her with eye contact...not when all she could do was watch, helplessly. Looking to the ground, he cursed himself... This was it... It was over.

"No!" her voice forced his eyes open, and he watched her run up, powered purely by adrenaline, and crouching down, kicking Slade's feet clear out from under him. The laser-like weapon went off, shooting one of the pillars a few yards off. She elbowed him in the face, with force enough to run a crack down the side of his mask, and wriggled the gun from his grasp. A grudging growl slipped her lips as she whipped it across the side of his face, knocking him unconscious. His arm fell limp, and she heaved a sigh of victorious relief. Slowly, she struggled to her feet,

"Not so fast, cutie." X's voice made her stop in her tracks...she'd forgotten about him. How could she have made that mistake? Fearfully, she looked up in time to see that he was holding the same weapon she was...only his was ready to fire...and pointing at Nightwing.

"Shoot him, Kori!" her boyfriend screamed, watching in near horror...he knew she'd do whatever X said in order to keep that weapon from going off.

"You so much as _touch_ that trigger, and I shoot him." he hissed, and Kori believed him. ...he was in total control.

"No..." she began. And even with Dick shaking his head violently, she lowered the gun, "Please don't.." it was all she could manage...but the panic was rising in the hero's gut '...no...you can't give in like this, Kori...you can't!'

"Shoot him!" her boyfriend screamed. But she didn't falter...instead, she stood motionless. Unwilling to look up at Dick...and too smart to take her eyes off her assailant. X seemed pleased... He started making his way toward her with a wicked smirk,

"That's a good girl." he taunted, as he reached her and slipped the gun from her hand. She swallowed the sharp lump in her throat, and looked away as he took her body into a restraining grasp. At least...at first, restraint was its only purpose. Upon feeling her curves in the grooves of his arms, and seeing the scowl on Nightwing's face, he couldn't help but sneak his hands around more of her body. All around her torso...slightly up her shirt. She quivered under his touch, and closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears from showing.

"I'm sorry about this, sweetheart...I really am." he hissed into her ear, making her cringe at the hot breath he sprinkled onto her neck. He couldn't help but grin at the power that went straight to his head as he amped the weapon, and kissed her neck, forcively. He'd become so distracted-however-he failed to notice Dick as he got off his feet and crept towards him...silently...and with a fury that he _should_ fear.

"You son of a bitch!" he screamed as he slammed his fist into the side of X's head. The villain jerked with the blow, but was immediately knocked out cold...but as he fell to the ground, the muffled sound of a shot was heard...and reality struck Dick like a hammer to the head. It felt as if there was a hot coal twisting around his stomach as he recalculated the situation. He was almost scared to look up at her...but when he did, he saw the light smile on her face,

"We won..." and with that, he noticed the fresh flood dripping from her side...

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...I know, another cliffie, right? But hey...I'm extremely eager to hear what y'all have to say about this chapter!

Please keep this feedback coming!


	56. Chapter 56: To The Infirmary

New chapter, new chapter, new chapter, new chapter...been really busy, guys, so I hope it's alright. I lightly read over it before posting. Any typos I missed though, I apologize for.

Enjoy.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

For a moment, he was paralyzed. By fear. By shock...he didn't even know. All he could do was look at her, helplessly...look at all the blood...and watch as she twitched a slight smile...and than, as she fell to her knees. He didn't hesitate...Richard was coherent enough to leap down next to her, and pull her into his arms protectively, before she hit the cold concrete... But feeling the way she almost fell limp in his arms, he shuddered and pulled out his phone, dialing his number three speed contact, and waiting for the sound of an open line,

"Bruce, I need you **now**!" he shouted, setting the small device down beside him so that his mentor could detect his position. But than, he turned his full attention to Kori... As gently as he could, he lowered her to a more comfortable position, and cradled her as closely as he thought he could without hurting her. His masked eyes studied her wounds...the long gash...as well as the fresh bullet wound. There was so much blood...he just wanted to scream...

She winced as she looked up at him, but tried her best to hide the pain from her face. She couldn't, however, fight the tears that began building in her eyes, as she saw the hopelessness in his gaze. She just wanted to make it stop...just wanted to tell him not to worry. That he'd saved her. That it was all gonna be okay. But she couldn't manage those words... His hand upon the side of her face completely immobilized her. All she could do was stare at him...and all he could do was stare at the blood that seemed to cover her.

"Oh my god, Kori..." he managed, fighting the urge to pull her even tighter. She refused to take her eyes off of him. All she could think about was the horrified look on his face as she drove off with Xavier no more than hours ago...

"I'm sorry, Richard... I'm so sorry..." she cried, weakly, as a stray tear began to slide down her bruised cheek. She wanted to be strong for him...but for the first time in her life, she just didn't have it in her. She was just too tired. All she needed was for him to keep holding her... And looking up at him, trying to pretend that everything was alright...that's all she could do... He seemed to sense it, though...stroking down the side of her cheek with his thumb, and trying to find the words-if any-that could bring her comfort.

"Shh...don't be... Don't apologize. You're gonna be fine, okay? Just stay with me..." he spoke softly. But just as he watched her trying to hide the pain, he also watched as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her eyelids fluttered, and she fell completely unconscious in his strong grasp. A lump formed in his throat that he tried to swallow, and he brushed her hair behind her ear,

"Kori? Come on, baby, stay awake...open your eyes..." he almost pleased, trying to gently shake her, but unable to get a response. He was nearly panicking as he tapped the side of her face, and she didn't even twitch. Tears welded in his eyes but he tried to keep them at bay...she was still breathing. He could sill feel her heartbeat. She was just tired...that's all it was. She needed to rest. ...at least that's what he drilled through his mind. He wasn't going to lose her...she was right here...and that's where he was going to keep her... He just wished Bruce wo-

But cutting his thoughts off before he even got to the conclusion, the door swung open with a slam. Bruce and his loyal butler came barreling in with a stretcher, and ran up to him...though it felt almost as if they were moving in slow motion. Their movements almost blurred, and creating an imaginary tracer behind them. The young hero fought to come to reality, as Alfred knelt beside him. Dick leaned back to give more room to view the fallen girl, and watched as the elderly man lifted her shirt a few inches, looked her over, and swallowed,

"It looks like the bullet just grazed her...but the state she's in, she's lost a lot of blood." the young man searched for optimism or hope in those words...but they were too hard to read. It seemed both positive and dangerous...how much blood-no. Keep it together. Keep it together, Dick...he shook it off and nodded in response. Knowing Bruce's eyes were on him made him fight to keep a cold wall over his fear.

"Okay, we need to get her to a hospital now." he spoke with a shaky voice.

"No." Bruce's interjection made his son look over at him aghast...he was about give his father a serious and embracing reality check, until their third party stepped in.

"I can do the same things for her that they can. And we won't have to sit in a waiting room. But we've got to hurry." Alfred reasoned, upon seeing the confusion. But he didn't have the grounds to explain that Kori needed different care than the doctor's around here were accustomed to...he didn't know what the young man did or didn't know, and had no intention of stepping on the grounds that weren't his to cross. All that mattered was getting the precious girl to the infirmary where she could be saved...

Bruce and Richard gently lifted her onto the stretcher and carried her into the big black Escalade. As they lowered one of the seats and settled her in, her boyfriend took the spot next to her and immediately began gathering bandages to hold over her wounds, desperate to stop the bleeding. Looking in the rear view mirror, as he started the engine, Alfred glanced over at the silent (and perhaps a little shaken) man.

"To be honest, sir, I don't know how long she has..." he began in a soft tone, putting the SUV in drive and pausing for reaction.

"Alfred..." Bruce warned, sternly, before trailing off and allowing the hopelessness to dissolve his disposition. He swallowed, and looked away, shaking his head, "Just drive."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Took a little while to get up here, but still. I hope y'all like it. Short, perhaps...but please tell me what you think!

The sooner y'all review, the sooner I'll update:)


	57. Chapter 57: Rules

Aaaaaaalrightttttt, new chapter, new chapter, new chapter!

DUN DUN DUN, hope y'all like it!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

As if cradling a priceless porcelain doll, Richard hoisted his girlfriend off the cold stretcher and settled her with ease onto one of the hospital beds of their infirmary. The strong urge to touch her face nearly overwhelmed him, but Alfred brushed him aside quickly to start tending to the damaged girl. Dick's first reaction was irritation...he wanted to be right beside her...but he was quick to beat down his personal needs, and see this for what it was. Necessity. If the bleeding wasn't stopped, there was no way she'd make it through this. And the mere thought of this made his skin crawl. He backed away several steps and stared hopelessly at the unconscious angel on the bed.

"Take a gauze for your nose Master Grayson." the elder man instructed, as he pulled out a syringe and filled it with what looked like penicillin. He flipped it upside down, tapping it, and forcing the air from the tube before inserting it into Kori's arm. Something about the liquid squishing sound made the playboy's stomach churn...but he bit his tongue harshly and did as instructed, taking a fluffy cloth and holding it over his still gushing nose...that he hadn't even noticed...or cared.

Alfred ripped apart her bloodied shirt, to reveal the horror she'd been through these past hours. Bruises...smears in the blood as if red paint used to draw an awful portrait...evidence that X had kept torturing her after the bleeding had begun. ...Dick felt sick looking her over. Scrapes covered her elbows and knees. He could only imagine it was from bracing herself as she hit the concrete after each blow.

"Master Grayson, your nose." the butler cut in again...obviously to draw his attention away...the upset on his face was as easy to read as a first grader's picture book. But he paid little attention... His eyes fixated on watching Alfred drag alcohol soaked cloth over the redhead's battered skin. Cleaning it for bandaging, was assumed...but it was a trance that Richard watched through...

"Can you hold this for me, Master Bruce?" Bruce stepped forward and took the clean side of the rag to press down to the wound while Alfred injected a sort of antibiotics. With the utmost care, he took a piece of medical tape and put it over a cotton ball to cover where he'd stuck the needle, and than went to cover her in stickers for the heart rate monitor. But as his hand flipped over the button, the three men were met with a flat line...as well as a long, unstopping beep that made the room seem to spin with an unsettling sinking feeling.

"No...Alfred, do something..." Dick managed, as he felt every part of him begin to shake. There was a sickening twist in his gut, and he would've thought his heart had stopped had it not been for the viscous pounding that he could feel all the way up in his neck. The elder man looked upon the teen boy, and nodded. He had little hope that a defibrillator would do anything to help considering that time that's already passed...but with the pain he saw on the young man's face, he couldn't deny the chance it _could_ offer.

"Stand back." he instructed, setting up the machine, and lubricating it. He charged it together, sounding a light electrical hum, before he touched it to the girl's chest and hit the button. Dick nearly gagged out of nerves as he saw her body jolt with the shock running through her...but the monitor still read zero pulse. Alfred charged it a second time, and tried a again...but the result was the same thing.

"Please, Alfred..." Richard begged, as a tear managed to slip past his efforts to keep them at bay, and slid down his face. The old man knew it would do no good...but did as his young master wished. He shocked her a third time...and with no reaction, he tried a fourth and final time. ...but that flat beep didn't even falter. Instead, it raced tauntingly across the screen...making Alfred's face stiffen, and taking away his strength to make eye contact with the teenager...

"I'm sorry, sir...we've lost her..." was all he could manage. But Dick pushed past his father, and stepped in front of the now shaking butler with desperation sprawled boldly across every inch of his face.

"No...she can't be! Can't you-"

"No, Master Grayson...I'm sorry..." he was cut off by those sharp words, and filled like an empty glass under a spewing faucet...it was panic...sheer panic running through his veins.

"No!" he screamed, before losing every bit of strength he had in his body, and crumbling to his knees in a fit of tears. Kori...dead? No! It was impossible! _His_ Kori...no. This couldn't be happening! A few days ago, she was laying in his arms, kissing his forehead and making the cute noises that she did whenever she's happy... She was his...she was fine...everything was fine. No...everything was perfect! How could she be lying here now, in their infirmary, just...he couldn't take it...he felt sick..

"Dick..." his mentor cut in, with a light hand on his shoulder. He wasn't usually the nurturing kind of man...but seeing his son like this, made him need to try.

"No, Bruce, we can...there's gotta be something we can-...she can't...be..." he stopped, unable to bring that word to his lips. His teary eyes glanced up at the heart rate monitor...its wicked flat line, like a hopeless horizon...and the cruel drone it sang out..

"No..." He'd lost her...because he couldn't listen to Bruce. Because he...he fucked up...it cost him the only thing that mattered to him...and it cost her her _life_... How could he have been so stupid? How could he have put her in danger like that? How could he let her go with X? How could he not save her?!

"No!" he screamed as he buried his face into her neck. Even as battered as she was...he could still detect the scent of her shampoo...and the sweetness about her that seemed to linger wherever she went. He kissed her face emphatically. Again, and again, and again...he didn't care if Bruce saw him cry. Nothing mattered anymore... He just wanted to be right here with her... But he'd fucked up... It was too late. He was clearly too late...

He pulled away to look at her...kissed her lips, and allowed the silence to fill the room. She was still so beautiful...even with the dirt and scrapes...her eyelashes were still full and perfect...he nose still had the cutest little curve. Her skin was still warm and soft...and her lips were still almost red...and tempting. Her hair formed the perfect frame, as if capturing a masterpiece to be preserved for all man kind. She was the perfect portrait... ..._was_... that bitter word slipped through his mind as if an angry momento... He wanted to go into that prison and beat X til his final breath... But that wouldn't bring her back...

"I'm sorry, Kory...I'm so sorry..." he whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her unmoving lips gently, letting his tears fall onto her still face. But than there was a sound...one that made him look up to see the activity dancing across the monitor...the beeping that made his heart skip with stupid hope. For a moment, he was scared to look down...but when he finally did, he was met with her eyes. Open...and looking up at him..._into_ him.

"Kori?"

"Korina?"

Bruce and Dick asked simultaneously...both in a disbelief that glinted like a neon sign.

"Hi." she said quietly, as she looked up at them. The young hero couldn't breathe...and even more so, he couldn't believe his eyes. She...how? God, it didn't matter...he just cracked a light smile and looked her over,

"H-Hi..." was all he could say...but he felt as if he were living in the twilight zone. Or the big dramatic scene or Sleeping Beauty where prince charming kisses the princess, and she wakes from her endless sleep. ...she just...woke up? It didn't...it didn't make sense...or add up...how did she just...no. It doesn't matter. What was he doing? It was a miracle!What did it matter _how_ she woke up? She woke up! He can worry about 'how' later...right now, all that mattered was the fact that she was back...right here...

Deciding to come to conclusions later, he leaned in close to her, looking her over with a glassy gaze...unable to speak...but no words would matter anyway. Her eyes on his mattered. The light smile that graced her lips mattered. _She _mattered... Nothing else. And as much as he wanted to capture her lips in a kiss that likely wouldn't end...he just stared in a trance...as she slightly leaned forward and lifted her hand from the cot which it had rested...

Richard smiled and leaned a touch closer, awaiting her touch feverishly... She, however, didn't have the chance. A sharp pain arose in her stomach, and sent her into a sudden fit of coughing. The redhead covered her mouth and doubled over for a moment, jerking with each throaty disturbance. It seemed like forever...and all her boyfriend did was place a gentle hand on her shoulder, and wait for her to give him an opening that told him he could do something. ...that is, of course...until he spotted the wet red speckles painted upon her palm. The knot filled his gut, and he sat up like a rocket,

"Alfred...Alfred!" he called, but Kori stopped him by touching his hand and giving her the somehow reassuring shake of her head. He watched through furrowed brows and raging concern as she weakly lowered herself back down, and awaited an explanation of sorts, to tell him that she really _was_ okay..

"It's just some of the blood that had gotten into my lungs...it's fine..." she reasoned, after catching her breath. He looked her over in worry for the moment, but there was a voice in the back of his mind that made him lighten up a notch...

"Wow, you know a lot about nurse stuff." he commented with cold, slightly amused irony. Kori couldn't help but laugh at the memory echoing through her head...their first 'inside joke' it would seem... Surely an odd time for humor, but...on the other hand, maybe it was just right. A little light to be shined on the mood? Her mouth kept it's comforted curve for a moment as she looked him over,

"Stuff? ...yeah, I know.." her smile faded as she looked up at him, but he could see the comfort in her eyes. The way they slightly glinted as he looked into them...he couldn't help but grin and give into the temptation of her breath on his face...

"Would it be totally cliche if I kissed you right now?" he asked, rhetorically...but she only smiled.

"Of course." but that was all the answer he needed. Graced by the smile she gave him, Richard leaned down as if in slow motion; savoring every moment of this... Pausing for a moment, he hovered over her, but quickly caved and closed the distance between them. Fiery and passionate, their lips collided...but it was brief, and momentary, before Richard parted it.

"I take it you're not mad at me anymore?" the former playboy asked, allowing a few inches space between them. Kori met his eyes, and twitched a slight arch in her brow,

"Mad at you? No..." she trailed off, but her face softened as she lost herself in his gaze. For a moment, all was silent...the air stiff and cold...though there was a subtle peace lingering over the two young lovers... He touched his hand to her cheek, and almost instantaneously, she leaned into it...this was her undoing. With the slight watering of her eyes, she swallowed the lump in her throat,

"I love you, Richard." she managed, before the grin that crept across his features took over the nerves that played through her mind. This was the first time anyone had told him they loved him...but it was all he needed.

"I love you too, Kor..." he breathed softly, and buried his face into her hair. Bruce took this as his cue to leave the room, but did so with a crooked grin across his lips...maybe some rules were meant to be broken...

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...voila. I only had time to read over half of it, so sorry if there are a lot of typos. Anywayyy, I love y'all!

PLEASE tell me what you think!


	58. Chapter 58: The Lullaby

Didn't take long, right? Lol...I hope y'all enjoy:)

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Weak but steady footsteps carried the beautiful girl into the kitchen that morning, where she found her boyfriend waiting on the microwave. The smile that tugged at her lips urged her to creep towards him...she had the plan in her head to wrap her arms around his shoulders, stand on her tip toes, and kiss him on the cheek. Of course, she didn't expect that timer on the small cooking device to sing out its completion so soon. Almost as soon as it beeped, he opened it, pulled out the mug that appeared to be inside, and turned around, spotting her immediately.

"Kori...you should be resting." he almost scolded in that soft tone that she loved so much.

"I'm fine. I've been resting all night. The last thing I want to do is lay in bed." she explained. Her boyfriend's blue eyes looked her over. He understood her point of view, not wanting to be trapped in a hospital bed all day...but the protective voice in the back of his head was slightly bothered with her being up and about so soon. His brow crinkled skeptically as he handed her the mug in his hand...hot tea. She couldn't help but smile...

"Just take it easy, okay?" he instructed...Kori couldn't avoid the roll of her eyes as she took the drink thankfully,

"Yes, sir." she mocked, giving him the kind of army salute you see in the movies. He couldn't hold back the amused smirk as he looked her over. From head to toe, his gaze circled her...she was wearing clean clothes now. Pajamas he'd brought her last night. Purple, of course, with white polka dots spattered with organization over every inch of the fabric. They matched cutely with her slightly messy bedhead.

"What?" she asked, as her cheeks burned from the warmth of his stare. But all the young man could do is laugh at her confused expression.

"Nothing." he began as he took a few steps toward her and touched her face with the back of his knuckles,

"I just really love you." he told her, waiting just long enough for her to smile, before he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I love you, too." she spoke from under his mouth...but he didn't say anything else. Instead he took her face in his hands and kissed her harder, holding the contact for a good matter of seconds. It was almost like he was trying to convince himself of her presence...because when he finally did break the kiss, he pulled away only enough to touch his forehead to hers...and even than, he still didn't let go.

"Are you going to school today?" the redhead asked, after a few seconds of silence. Slowly, but surely, Richard pulled away...just enough to give the distance to see her entire face...but still further than he wanted to be from her at the moment.

"No...I'm staying with you. I'll go tomorrow." he answered simply. Kori nodded in response. Part of her didn't want to keep him from something as important as school. But the selfish part of her really wanted his company today...so she had no intention of arguing with him.

"Well, what do you want to do with your day of hookie?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in such a cute angle, that he couldn't help but laugh and wrap his arms around her waist as gently as physically possible.

"Well, _you_ need to take it easy." Kori rolled her jade eyes as she couldn't help but make a mental note of his 'uncle Tom' attitude.

"So no roller coasters and clubbing? What's the fun in that?" she asked jokingly. Richard just grinned and rose a cocky brow,

"You need a roller coaster to have fun with me?" he asked, but planted a quick kiss across her lips before she got the change to answer. She laughed in amusement but pulled away and gave him a sort of puppy dog face,

"Now, I didn't say that, did I?" the question was rhetorical, of course, so the only answer Dick gave to it was a slight chuckle, before gesturing toward the fridge,

"Hungry?" but to his surprise, Kori just gave a kind of uncomfortable scrunch of her nose and shook her head,

"Not really...have you eaten?" she asked, quickly changing the subject to avoid a 'you really should rebuild your strength' conversation.

"Yeah, actually...I've been up a while." he answered without thinking. But this peaked her interest a little bit,

"Up a while, or have you not been down yet?" Kori asked skeptically, narrowing her eyes a tad to express her suspicious curiosity. He shrugged simply,

"I had a lot on my mind." but she swallowed the lump in her throat...she figured this was going to come out between them. But she was surprised that it happened as immediately as it did...she'd expected something to trigger it into conversation.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, kind of as part of expected communication. She could see him think about it for a moment, before shrugging again,

"I do. But now might not be the best time." the redhead could tell he was trying to act cavalier about it...which only meant it was bothering him more than he cared to admit. She watched warily, studying his body language as he pulled away and leaned back against the kitchen counter.

"If it's bothering you-"

"I'm fine, Kor." he cut her off gently. She could see the trouble in his expression, but deciding that prying would only add tension to the situation, so she nodded slowly,

"Not sure I believe you...but if you wish to wait, I can wait." her angelic voice seemed to sooth his ears.

"Thanks, babe." he said with a light smile. She just returned it and leaned in to place a light kiss on the tip of his nose,

"Come watch TV with me." she said with the light tug of his hand. He couldn't help but let his grin widen,

"Bossy, much?" he teased. This caused her to pull out what he referred to as the 'puss n' boots' face.

"Pleeease?" she asked. He nodded slowly, and gave the kind of look that gave the 'if you're gonna pull my leg' sense. They both seemed to inwardly laugh at the cuteness passing between them, and silently went into the living room together. Sitting on the couch again was something Dick had actually been looking forward to-though he personally found it ridiculous and kept it to himself as he snaked an arm around her carefully. For a matter of seconds, he let himself melt into the sensation of having her in his arms...but after a moment, he reached for the remote, hit the power button, and began flipping channels as he kissed the side of her face,

"Any idea what you want to watch?" he asked, more joking than serious, but glanced over to observe her reactions...see if anything caught her eye. Of course...something did... Her face suddenly turned serious as he reached channel '7'. He furrowed his brows curiously and followed her gaze...and when he did, his gut sank. Slade and Xavier's mugshots were posted on the screen...headline? "Duo nearly kills high school student" ...yeah. How sensitive for the new crew to post that for all to see...one of his immediate thoughts was that if they mentioned Kori by name, he was going to sue them.

"_These men were taken into custody last night, after the brutal capture and torture of a local student of Gotham City High..." _the news anchor, of course, went on...but Kori paid no attention. Instead, her eyes were locked on Richard, as she noticed his fists tighten to the point of his knuckles turning white. Her mouth became dry as she nervously reached over and touched his hand with her own. His expression seemed to soften with her contact, but his eyes didn't leave the screen...she almost gagged the sharp lump in her throat but began slowly reaching for the remote.

"Perhaps the news isn't-"

"What did they do to you before I got there...?" Richard asked her before she could finish. And for a moment, the entire room seemed to fall silent. She suddenly felt almost...vulnerable. This was a delicate subject...but she could see the gears turning in his head...she knew this wasn't going away right now...

"I-It was nothing..." nice one, Kori...she ran a round of scoldings in her head with her response. She'd expected to make it seem more harmless than what really happened to her...but she also knew that putting it down to the extent that she did would only make him disbelieve her even more...

"I know that's not true." was all he had to say. She inhaled sharply and looked away...honesty is the best policy, right? Don't dance logic around him...just talk.

"Please don't do this to yourself... I know where you're going with this." she spoke truthfully... For some reason, speaking her mind seemed like the best idea at the moment. But the trouble on his face...the hurt in his eyes...even the pain shown through the pursing of his lips made her skin crawl in discomfort...

"I just can't get over-"

"What? The fact that you saved my life?" she cut him off...she couldn't handle him putting himself through a guilt trip...and that's exactly what was happening. He almost started shaking from what she imagined, playing the events of yesterday through his mind.

"The fact that I was almost too late." he answered coldly. Kori shook her head...but he hadn't been looking at her. His gaze was turned towards the television...even though he wasn't looking at anything in particular. He just couldn't bring himself to look at her while these thoughts were running through his head.

"But you weren't... Look at me. I'm fine. Thanks to you." she said, leaning forward slightly to try and get a better view of his face, but he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to find words in his head that wouldn't hurt for her to hear.

"You wouldn't have been there in the first place, if it weren't for me." blunt. Very blunt. But it's how he felt...two could play it that game.

"Don't say that...I'm the one who got on the bike..." she reasoned...but this time, he actually turned his head to look at her.

"Because of me, in the first place." they locked eyes for a moment...both gazes shaking...but Kori couldn't help but note the irony...most couples fight to blame one another...they were fighting to take the blame. But it was sincere...and raw...and...real...and she couldn't help but speak her thoughts without filter,

"No...because I was stupid and upset. And you pulled me out of the hole that I'd dug myself into. There's nothing to feel bad about." but he couldn't fully comprehend what he was saying to her... It didn't matter what she said to him...this wasn't going to make him feel better.

"...how bad does it hurt?" he managed, desperate to change the subject...it was wrong for her to blame herself for what happened to her...but he knew she wouldn't let him blame himself. Even though that's all he _could_ do... She could see straight through his tactic, however. And for a moment, she thought about drilling again that he wasn't to blame in this situation...but decided against it. Might as well circle back if necessary...

"Alfred gave me pain killers, so it's more than manageable." she told him...that was believable, right? It should be...it's true. But he was searching for any source of deception on her face that he could find...there wasn't any...but he still couldn't relax.

"Well, that's good." he muttered...but it wasn't fair for him to be so bitter to her...he was getting tense, yes. But he had to take a step back... Just...take a breath and cool off a little.

"Come on...put a movie in and lay here with me." she interrupted his train of thought...it seems she was reading his expression to a 'T'...though he didn't really seem to hear it...instead, his eyes were on the TV once more...but there was more to it. Something on his face had more to say...she could almost see the clouds gathering in his eyes...

"Richard...what's the matter?" she asked, worriedly, placing a hand on his face, and pulling his face to look at her. He did, meeting her stare, but pausing, and closing his eyes for a moment, trying to gather the words. When he finally opened them back up, there was a slight rim of tears that made Kori flinch...

"You flat-lined, Kor...I'd lost you for a minute..." he spoke almost inaudibly... He was running through his head all the things he saw last night...what if he'd gotten there thirty seconds later? What if he'd missed just one punch? What if X hadn't gotten so distracted by her body? What if, what if, what if, what if? But the squeeze that the beautiful girl gave his hand pulled him from the sea of questions long enough for her to furrow her brows,

"For a minute...but here I am. I'm not going anywhere." but she stopped for a moment...she should take that back...it was a ticking time bomb until she leaves...but before she got the chance to scramble the words together, Richard squeezed her hand back,

"I know...it's just hard to put something like that to the back of your mind." he reasoned. She just swallowed dryly and thought for a moment...conversation of her departure could take place later. Right now, what she did caught him off guard. She leaned against the back of the couch and gently took his head in her hands, pulling it down, and resting it against her chest.

"Hear that?" she asked, watching as he leaned into her. It was like a lullaby...the steady rhythm that her heart seemed to sing to him... "That's because of you." she said, running her fingers through his hair, and watching him intently. She had meant that comment in two ways...but she was well aware that he'd only catch the first one...and that was just fine with her. She felt him slowly relax into her, and studied the rise and fall of his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment, and melted into the curve of her body,

"I'm just so glad you're okay..." he breathed, taking in every trace of her that he could...her scent...the warmth of her skin...and, of course, the beat of her heart as it sang in his ears. She smiled slightly, and placed the softest kiss on his forehead.

"We're okay." she cooed, still massaging his scalp and soaking in the relaxation that she watched take him over. It took him a moment to register what she'd said to him, but when he did, all he could do was nod, and close his eyes again...and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...I'm really not too sure how I felt about this chapter...and the lack of reviews from the last one kinda made me second guess, so...please give me y'all's input. Could really use it!

The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update:)

Come on, guys, I need to know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. Lol


	59. Chapter 59: A Lot To Ponder

So...got this up in a jiffy:)  
>Hoping to get some more feedback, y'all! I need to know what I'm doing right and wrong. And I'd prefer to hear it from you!<p>

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

His oceanic eyes fluttered open in a light daze...how long had he been out? Glancing at the clock and seeing '3:48' made him calculate a rough five hours...not bad. He could use more, but waiting until the evening was probably the more responsible bet. Bruce wouldn't take lightly to him sleeping the entire day away...no matter how much he would love to pull the angel in his arms tighter, and drown out the rest of the world. But hey, just because he couldn't sleep all day, didn't mean she couldn't. So he allowed himself one more loving gaze, before rising to his feet and cradling her delicately against him.

For a good fifteen to twenty seconds, he caught himself lost upon the canvas of her face... He wondered if he would ever grow tired of looking at her...but he was pretty sure he knew the answer to that question. The grin pulled at his lips as he kissed her forehead and began walking slowly toward the large, regal staircase.

"Master Grayson...just in case of complications, I'd rather keep her in the infirmary for another day or two." Alfred's voice almost made him jump...he was getting pretty good and lurking silently about the house. But his words made the gears in Richard's head turn. She'd been through so much the past couple of days, he wanted greatly to grant her the soft comfort of her own bed. But...there was also the protective undertone in his thought process that made him favor Alfred's suggestion...maybe it wouldn't be as cozy for her...but it would be safer. On the chance something happened...no. Nothing could happen.

"Yeah, okay." he mumbled casually, as he began following the elderly man down one of the drearier hallways that lead to the infamous Wayne Manor infirmary. Oh, the hatred he had for this room of the mansion...he wanted to board it up. Being in it made him think of her flat-lining... And as he laid her into the bed that had kept her last night, he shuddered with the touch of the cold sheets. It was for the best...just for tonight, he assured himself. Better safe than sorry, right?

He covered her carefully with the white fleece blanket and brushed a few stray bangs from her beautiful face. He looked her over, mesmerized by her sleeping beauty...lost in the details of her face. This didn't go unnoticed by Alfred either, who was watching from the corner of his eye as he prepped another vile of penicillin. Keeping her hydrated and pumped with fluids to boost her immune system was one of the things he had to keep up on...so he began hooking up another IV, and pulled up the all-too-familiar heart rate monitor. It was strange to think that Richard found comfort in the beeping of the large machine...

"Are you alright, Master Grayson?" the man asked warily, as he pulled down the blanket, and lifted Kori's shirt to change out the bandages covering her wounds. Dick took a moment to register his words, until he realized how out in the open his emotions were.

"Yeah, Alfred. I'm fine." he say, without taking his eyes from his beautiful girlfriend, and recovering quickly from the brief 'heart on his sleeve' syndrome. But Alfred was still able to take a pretty decent guess at the thoughts running through his head. Normally, he was one to keep to himself...but Richard Grayson was never a man to show worry or compassion-especially to this extent-for someone else. And seeing the look in his eyes made him oddly inclined to try to remove it.

"It's quite amazing, actually." he commented, waiting for the young man to take the bait.

"What?" Dick asked, confused. Nothing in front of him-other than Kori, herself-would he seem fit to label as 'amazing'. Her wounds? No. Her bruises? No. The curiosity was impossible to hide.

"The rate she's healing. I've never such an exponential rate before for these kind of injuries." and even though it was obvious that these were comfort words...the truth swelled out of them. The former playboy knew the intention of them was simply for the settling of his nerves...but hey, the old man was trying. And he had to appreciate the effort.

"That's a good thing." he answered simply, watching as the dried blood was being wiped from the redhead's soft stomach.

"It's an extraordinary thing." Alfred corrected. He was well aware of the blue eyes that studied ever move he made, thoroughly.

"You did well, sir...protecting her." he praised without bothering to look up...he could only imagine the denial on the young man's face as his words registered. He didn't want to see the doubt...or the pain in his eyes. He just wanted to add a peace-bringing two cents.

"How can you say that? Alfred, look at her..." Richard muttered bitterly, as he stared at the blood soaked cloth on the bedside tray. He shuddered again at the memories of her red fluid staining his hands as he tried to keep her awake last night. But Alfred disapproved the negativity lurking in his master's disposition.

"I am, Master Grayson. And I advise you to do the same. She is healing miraculously." he commented, as he lifted the bandages covering the gash over her stomach to reveal the bare wound. It was still a gruesome site...but as last night, tissue was clearly visible...now, only broken skin showed through. ...it was true. There was a vast improvement. But the fact that it was there at all...

"She shouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place. Bruce was right." he admitted, icily. But the wise glance of his loyal butler made him curiously raise a brow,

"Or _you_ were right, sir. You did protect and rescue her. You should give yourself more credit, if I may say so, myself." his praise was unexpected...and mildly appreciated. But it didn't sink in entirely. Another issue crept into view with his comment, and an ironic film seemed to cover Richard's stare,

"Does Bruce share all of our arguments with you?" he asked through a cold chuckle. But Alfred seemed slightly caught off guard as he shook his head,

"I overheard. I apologize if that gives you a sense of-"

"No, Alfred...you're part of the family." he interjected, granting Alfred a sense of warmth with his statement. But Dick's eyes shifted to the sleeping girl, "And so is Kori..." he finished, and stared at her with an emotion he couldn't describe. But after he'd said this, the air suddenly adopted an awkward presence, and the butler pulled up a mental shield,

"If I may, Master Grayson...perhaps you should not depend on such a sense of logic." he softly mentioned a topic that he almost knew would ruffle the young man's feathers. But to his surprise, the first response he received as the twitch of a cold grin,

"Now, you sound like Bruce." Alfred bowed for a moment, out of respect.

"I apologize. But...her stay here is temporary. She will have to go back, eventually." but as soon as he said it, he cursed himself... This wasn't the time to bring up such a subject. As on edge as his young master was, he nearly anticipated an enraged response...but...to his surprise, all he was met with was desperation...not directed at him...but at Kori...or maybe just in general.

"Bruce likes her, though...maybe he'd let her stay." he was thinking out loud.

"Master Bruce is very fond of Ms. Anderson, it is true...but I fear it is not his decision. But that of her people." Richard lightly nodded with defeat dangling over his head,

"He told me she was a princess..." the elderly man nodded,

"So you know she has responsibilities that she needs to fulfill..." but Dick suddenly shook his head,

"She's safe here. Her country is at war." he pointed out, sparking a glint of hope in his previously lost and dreary gaze. Alfred hated to be the bearer of bad news...but he was quite useful as the voice of reason... And for the moment, that voice needed to be heard.

"War doesn't last forever, sir. When it is over, she is likely to be granted the crown of Tameran." he pointed out...but the hope was still there.

"You say _likely_. Not certainty." the elderly man sighed and shook his head... He didn't want to take away the optimism that the boy clung to...but he hoped to shine to light the facts, and keep his hopes from getting too much higher before they were inevitably shattered.

"Master Grayson...I apologize again for my pushing. But...it _is_ a certainty that she must return." he tried drilling into the young man's head. But he didn't even seem to let it register.

"You can't know that." he leaned down slowly to kiss the beautiful girl's forehead, before stealing a glance at his oldest friend,

"I'm going to take a shower...thanks, Alfred." and with that, the conversation was over. Richard had left the room. And the old man was left, standing there, shaking his head, hopelessly.

"If you only knew, Master Grayson..." he muttered, before casting a seemingly appropriate glance at Kori...but to his surprise, her eyes were open, catching him off guard. Even though she wasn't looking at him, as much as the invisible trail that her boyfriend left in his tracks.

"How are you feeling, Ms. Anderson?" she looked at him, hopelessly.

"I don't know what to do, Alfred..." her voice was weak and almost inaudible...as if she were saying that to herself, and leaving room for him to hear something completely different.

"I'm sorry." was all he could manage. But a comforting smile was what greeted him first,

"Don't be. You've been great. With everything." she trailed off, and looked away for a moment, trying to pull together the other words that wanted to come out.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate your hospitality. How you've accepted me. Cared for me. It means a lot." maybe it sounded cheesy, or cliché...but she returned her eyes to his friendly face, and looked him over, in hopes to read his expression. But he was caught entirely off guard. Never before had he heard such raw appreciation... Or...such a sweet cluster of words. Not...directed toward _him_, anyway. It surprised him...with how random it had seemed...with how deep and...and genuine... He didn't have the slightest clue how to respond to something like this.

"Ms. Korina, I-"

"I don't know how much longer I'll be here...so I may as well tell you while I know I have time." she cut him off, and tried to give him a little more to go on so that he didn't feel quite so out of place. But he still fought to hide the touched grin that attempted to take over the natural curve of his mouth.

"You're...you're quite welcome, dear." he managed, receiving a light smile in return. He wanted to say more, but the hesitation in her gaze made him think for a moment...and he tried to imagine what was on her mind. She was a very intelligent girl...she was well aware of the scenario hurtling in her direction. So taking what he knew about her...and what was soon to come crashing down on her...he figured it was a form of analysis running through her head..._something_ to do with the aftermath of her departure.

"We're going to miss you. All of us." the least he figured he could do was conjure up a few sweet words in return...which surprised her. This seemed very out of character for the man that stood before her. Alfred was the kind of man to keep his thoughts on other people's feelings to himself, and try to neutralize what he was involved in...if that made any sense. Not to mention, he was a sweet man-yes...but purely consoling words weren't something that often passed through his lips. He was supportive, but not the kind to intentionally try lightening a mood.

"Believe me...I'll miss you too." it was all she could managed to say in return, as her train of thought continued barreling through her. She was so caught up in it, actually, that she didn't even see the aged eyes staring at her in deep thought,

"If you _could _stay-"

"Alfred. I talked to Bruce..." she cut him off, as the word 'stay' seemed an immediate trigger for her putting a wall up around her. She didn't want to have this discussion. Not with Alfred. He'd been the only one who hadn't put any kind of pressure or expectancy on her shoulders... She didn't want that to change.

"Metaphorically. If you could stay...do you think you would?" Kori looked him over warily, for a moment, analyzing his question for a moment, and deeming it harmless...metaphorical...fine.

"If my home was in good hands..." she replied softly...but there was a sadness adopted into the man's eyes,

"I see your worry..." she swallowed...thinking for a moment about informing him that he had no idea where to begin if he planned to imagine the burden on her back...but stopped herself.

"Bruce told me that my sister was trying to force the Gordanians on me. So that it was undocumented, and she could keep peace with the Tameranian population." the redhead commented bitterly... It hurt...that she was being offered as a prize...and that no one would even know what happened to her, so that her sister could live a cruel lie to maintain image. ...but for a moment, she wondered if it were for the best? Is Kommand'r would remain Grand Ruler, than the news of what happened to the younger princess is better off a secret... Better that, than risk inflicting mutiny among the Tameranian people toward their ruler...

"Earth has an army." Alfred offered, kindly...but the word 'earth' rang loudly in her ears,

"He told you?" she asked him carefully...but he only nodded.

"We could fight." he finished, hoping it would give her a little more to hold onto in regards to her predicament. But...to his surprise, as well as disappointment, it only seemed to add to the burden in her stare,

"I won't wage a war." Kori spoke, adamantly. And while Alfred found it admirable...selfless...respectable... It made his stomach churn,

"If your sister is malicious as she seems...you may not be able to control it." he pushed a little further... If the Gordanians were going to infiltrate Earth for the young princess _anyway_, than what would it hurt with giving her the incite that there was an entire army that may just be able to fend off the attack? ...but he read the trouble that it seemed to cause her instead...and wished he could've taken it back...

"But don't worry. Just rest, Ms. Korina...that is a bridge we will cross when the time comes." he assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder for a moment, and hoping-even though he knew it was useless-that the subject would lay to rest after he offered her those words of assurance. For a moment, she wanted to argue what had just been said to her...but she quickly decided she didn't want to bring any more of this conversation to light... So instead, Kori faked a sweet smile and looked him in the eye,

"Thanks, Alfred." she replied...and with a light nod, he left the room in silence. Kori waited for the sound of his footsteps to disappear down the hall, before she sat up and cautiously pulled her knees up to her chest with a since. It suddenly became very clear that she wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep any time soon...

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...kind of a sort of filler?  
>But still, please give me your input:)<p>

The more feedback I get, the quicker I'll update.


	60. Chapter 60: Shed Some Light

So...I didn't proof read the end of the chap...hope there aren't too many typos!

Either way, I love y'all...and hope you enjoy this chapter!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kori sat on her bed, lost in an array of thought... Everything going on had seemed to flood her, leaving her feeling almost cold and exhausted. She had no idea what was going to happen within the next few weeks... The things Bruce had told her made her blood feel like ice as it coursed through her veins. Her sister was too impatient to await the treaty...she was trying to sabotage everything by sending the Gordanians straight to her...meaning all she could do was wait. For some kind of word sealing her fate...pray that it wouldn't persecuted, and she would be able to stay here just a little bit longer...

"X'hal..." she sighed, as she lifted her guitar from her bedside, and settled it in her lap. Maybe she'd be better off leaving about now...to avoid the even _potential_ risk that could be dote upon this planet. She wasn't worth war...and she couldn't bare the thought of strangers getting hurt for her stubbornness or fear. This was her fight...no one else's. And it wasn't even a fight...it was a promised enslavement and a gruesome fate, indeed.

How would Richard handle her leaving? The thought sent a chill down her spine. He'd likely become furious with her...but maybe that was a good thing? If he were angry, perhaps it would be easier for him to move on... Some days, she wished she'd never even met him. Though he's been the biggest blessing about this city...it would end messily. She dreaded it, like nothing else. The pain...the loneliness...would there be tears? She didn't want him to cry for her... Why did she give in to him in the first place?

It didn't matter...there was no one to blame but herself...and she accepted that. What she _didn't_ want to accept was the fact that...she wasn't going to be the only one to suffer for such actions. Physically? Oh, absolutely. But emotionally...what was going to happen to him? She knew the guilt of this would drag her even further down...but maybe that's what she deserved. He's been nothing but amazing...he and Bruce, both. Warm and loving...great to her...never made her feel like a freak, or an outsider... They opened their arms to her and actually...made her feel like part of their family. ...and she was about to repay them-or Richard, at least...by leaving...**forever**.

The lump in her throat made her gulp profusely, and give in to the sensation of being overbore. She needed a release...something to take the edge off... And that's about the time she turned to her guitar, with a hopeful sigh...and began strumming. She didn't notice the handsome young man that had approached her room silently. He raised his hand to knock on her door...but when he heard the grace of the acoustic instrument, he froze...curiosity and anticipation made him lean back and watch, as if he was a fly on her wall. But his heart skipped a beat when she started to sing,

"_I'm falling apart again._

_And I can't find a way to make amends. _

_I'm looking in both directions..." _she vocally paused for a moment, and swallowed... She couldn't help but almost wallow in the hopelessness of her situation... All the false hope she'd been giving herself...she knew it was just going to make the fall harder in the end...but even as she continued reaching in her mind for a way out of her circumstance...she smiled ironically.

"_But it's make believe..._

_It's all pretend."_ Richard watched intently...silent...mesmerized by her voice...the melodic sound that seemed to illuminate the entire room in a dreary, yet beautiful light. But even as he was caught up in the majestic he was also hurt...by the pain in her words...the truth and weight that they carried...

"_So shed some light on me,_

_And hold me up in disbelief..._

_Shed some light on me, _

_And tell me something that I'll believe in..." _for a moment, the hopeless romantic in the playboy wanted to reach out and touch her...tell her to let him be what she believed in... That she could believe in this...in them...in her life here. If only she could understand that it didn't have to end the way she thought it did... But for once, he was able to read her face like a book. And he saw nothing but doubt...pain...fear... But he couldn't stop listening...watching...it was as if he was in a trance..

"_It's innocence within the maze, _

_But I have chosen the wrong way..."_ Kori melted into the lyrics...this moment in her life was just that...a maze. She's held on because of naivety...because of innocence...and the wrong way, in question?

"_I'm still getting over who I was. _

_There's no sense of trust..._

_There's no definition of love." _ for a moment, Dick was hurt by this... He knew it was simply a song, and that he couldn't take it personally. And...he also knew how she meant for it to relate... Her transition of lives...from a war princess to a high school student...trying to break through her guard...learn all the rules...learn how to live another life entirely. There were no rules. No guidelines. She had to take it all in and teach herself.

"_So shed some light on me, _

_And hole me up in disbelieve. _

_Shed some light on me, _

_And tell me something that I'll believe." _her voice began climbing with intensity as her emotions began showing through than, as if she were lifting a veil. She couldn't help but think of all she had gained these past few months... The things that have changed her...the fact that _he's _changed her. In the greatest way...seen things in a light she'd never thought of. Been opened to a light she'd never even considered before... Gotham had so many wonderful..._kind_ things that Tameran simply didn't. It had a warmth to it...a love... It felt like home. ...it felt like home...this realization brought tears to her eyes.

"_I know now, it's not who you are, _

_It's who you know.  
>And I see clearly now, <em>

_Which way to go..." _knowing what she needed to do just made it so much harder... Her path was predetermined, and it was one that she didn't want to follow. It seemed impossible to permanently fit Richard into 'fate's plan for her... No...scratch that. It didn't seem impossible. It **was**. The best thing that ever happened to her would be the deepest cut of all.

"_I remember the way I feel from above..._

_And I recall the way I was." _a tear managed to roll down her face, making Dick's heart ache... What he wanted was to cry with her...but he couldn't bring himself to move. He was too lost in her song...as if held in place by her beautiful voice... He wondered how deep these lyrics really ran... Were they just about her and him? Or did they stretch all the way to her home life? That maybe made sense...the 'way she was'...he couldn't help but wonder what her life was like before she came to America...before she met him... But those thoughts were unimportant...he just wanted to hear her sing...even if he _was_ over-analyzing.

"_So shed some light on me, _

_And hold me up in disbelief. _

_Shed some light on me, _

_And tell me something that I'll believe in." _Kori swallowed the lump in her throat, and allowed the tears to fall as she sang. It was...as if she were singing straight to X'hal...for mercy...

"_Shed some light on me! _

_And hold me up in disbelieve._

_Shed some light on me, _

_And tell me something that IIII'll-That I'll believe." _her voice this time was of a higher pitch, crisp and clean, with an angelic ringing of perfection...she soared every note with intensity...losing the young man-her soul audience member-in each of the emotions coursing through her veins... She burst them lackluster into the warm air of her bedroom, and grew quiet, as she strummed her guitar in a sort of musical hypnotism.

"_Something I'll believe..._" she finished softly...sweetly...and drew out the last notes of the wooden instrument in her hand, so seal the silence, as if licking an envelope.

"X'hal, can it not be that simple?" she asked herself, leaning back, and lightly tapping her head into the wall by her bed. Of course...she didn't know about the man standing in her doorway. Not until he cleared his through and took a single step into her room, knocking gently on the door. Upon noticing him, the redhead's face turned dark enough to match that of her hair, and she sat up again, setting her guitar on the floor beside her, stumbling over a greeting that would grant him entrance.

"Your voice is incredible, babe..." he spoke honestly, but he was trying to ease her out of the startled embarrassment that was written all over her beautiful face.

"How long have you been standing there?" she managed through a cute squeak. He offered her a warm smile, and shrugged,

"Long enough." Kori brought her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, releasing a slight sigh. Dick took this as his cue to come in, and sat beside her.

"You okay?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She, of course, could always be counted upon to look at him with an award-winning smile,

"I'm wonderful." she chirped...and he had to hand it to her; it was convincing as all hell. But after seeing what he just had, all he could do was give her 'the look' that told her he didn't buy any of it and wait for her to come clean. She didn't take much swaying...instead she looked away for a moment and shook her head,

"I'm confused." the redhead confessed...feeling ultimately nude under his gaze. She'd poured her heart into that song. And he'd seen and heard all of it. There was no hiding behind the 'I'm okay, I promise' . But much to his disappointment, he couldn't read her all the way. There were many troubled emotions painted on her face...but he couldn't clearly sort them out, as he'd hoped..

"You were singing about us, weren't you?" he started out with the obvious.

"Yes and no... We're part of it...but it's just...everything going on. Music is the way I...'vent', would be the proper term?" she stopped with her question to make sure she was saying what she meant. Richard nodded in both confirmation and understanding. Part of him felt almost offended...he wanted to be the first choice for her when there was something troubling her...but he couldn't guilt her when there was so much going on in her head. So he reached down with a single finger and lifted her chin to meet his eyes with her own,

"You could always talk to me, too, you know?" he spoke with a joking tone to let her know he wasn't trying to put any kind of pressure on her...but she saw through it. She knew it probably bothered him that she had turned to singing before she talked to him... But she was inclined to speak the truth... So she gave a sweet half smile,

"First, I'd have to figure out just what it is I need to talk about." she matched his joking tone, of course, but he knew her well enough by now to see the pain she was trying to cover up with the humor. He wasn't going to push, though... He'd been in those shoes many times. Vic tried getting him to spit out what was on his mind...but he wasn't even sure what it was-making it impossible to talk about. He understood completely.

"I get it, babe." he said. And for a moment, she looked in his eyes for sarcasm or hurt behind his statement... When she saw nothing but truth, she managed an appreciative nod,

"When I figure it out, you'll be the first to know." she spoke sweetly. At this point, Richard couldn't help but grin and lean in to kiss her cheek,

"Promise?" he asked her playfully. But she did a good job at hiding the conflict running through her head as he asked this of her. Instead, she kissed his lips roughly,

"Let's go make something to eat." though it came out as a command, they both knew how she meant it. He grinned,

"Sounds good to me." he said... But as they got up to head to the kitchen, both of them noticed she hadn't promised him... They seemed to silently agree to pretend not to notice... But while Dick felt almost begrudging because of it...left out...being intentionally kept in the dark...Kori had to fight back tears as the sense of guilt-as well as the ever growing stress-rose through her throat... In other words...it was safe to say, it was a rather quiet meal.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Yupp, had to go a little songfic-y on y'all. But this is one of the songs I sing when I'm kinda down, so I figured why not put it in the story? I however, cannot yet play it on guitar lol.

Either way, I hope y'all liked it.

Please tell me what you thought:)


	61. Chapter 61: Pizza Makes You Lucky

Alright...this chap SUCKS. I'll warn you now. But I've been really busy, and stressed, so I just...blah. I figure do what I can, and post the new chap, since I'll be busy for at least half of this week.

Hope it's not too terrible... Sigh...here goes nothing.

Love y'all!

...and I didn't get a chance to proof read. I'm sorry!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

While the redhead showered, her boyfriend had decided upon a small surprise for her. After deeming her physically improved enough for company, he made a call, and was waiting by the door...any minute, now...any minute...

-Ding-Dong-

He smirked...perfect.

Kori heard the doorbell from downstairs, and furrowed her brows. She had a towel wrapped through her hair, and she'd already dressed in jeans and an old 'Sublime' t-shirt...but she was quick to shake the towel through her hair to dry it a little more... Curiosity caught her attention...no one uses the doorbell, unless it's some sort of important appointment for Bruce. And in light of everything going on lately, perhaps the redhead found herself a tad paranoid... But she was eager to find out who was visiting...be it her business, or not.

So the instant she came to the conclusion that her hair was dry enough for her to face company, she grabbed a hair tie, threw it into a messy bun, and escaped through her doorway prancing on light feet down the hallway, and further to the stairs. Though...the company she spotted wasn't what she had expected...her two best friends stood, conversing with her boyfriend...none of the three seemed to notice her presence, so she began lightly stepping down on her tip toes.

"She's...okay, though, right?" she heard Gar ask, catching her interest...she wondered what Richard had told them about her absences the past couple of days. And while she could only see the back of the handsome man's head...she imagined a look of relief on his face,

"Yeah...yeah, she is." he spoke softly. And while the short blonde boy seemed satisfied with this comment and smiled, but his girlfriend seemed...unsatisfied. With the raise of her brow, Kori reached the bottom of the stairs...but she wanted to see what would come out before she made her presence noticed.

"But how are..._you_ and Kori?" she inquired skeptically. The smile graced the redhead's lips as she took this as her introduction, and walked up, wrapping her arms affectionately around her boyfriend's stomach, and placing a sweet kiss on his cheek. Dick grinned widely and beamed up at their friends,

"Better." he replied proudly. Upon seeing this, Gar broke out a huge grin...hell, even Rachel managed a smirk form the corner of her lips...it had only been a few days, but Kori realized just how much she'd missed them,

"Friends!" she exclaimed happily, as she pulled away from Richard and pulled her dark friend into a light hug which...surprisingly enough, she actually allowed. Of course, she wasn't prepared for her short little friend to bombard her with a tackling hug as soon as she let Rachel go. The impact of him excitedly slamming into her shot an explosion of pain through her side, and she winced out of uncontrolled reflex. With the sound slipping through her lips, Gar leaped back with a slightly dropped jaw, and worry all over his face. Kori, on the other hand, forced a smile, and hid the pain as best she could,

"It's lovely to see you too, Gar." she spoke sweetly, not noticing Dick's concerned gaze on her. His first reaction was to grab her and make sure everything was okay. But he wouldn't do that in front of their friends.

"Do we have a game plan, or...?" Rachel asked, before anymore petty and useless comments passed between them. Richard gave Kori a look,

"What, you need a game plan to have fun with us, Rae?" he asked, trying to see if his girlfriend would make the connection to the line he's used on her the other day. She did, of course, but her focus was more on their company. So she acknowledged it with a smile, and watched as the dark haired girl rolled her eyes,

"Seriously, dude. What are we doing?" Gar asked...but Dick could almost see the light bulb appear over Kori's head.

"Is anyone hungry?" she asked in that familiar innocent ring. The short boy lit up,

"Yeah! Let's get pizza!" he exclaimed, while bouncing up and down. But the redhead cocked her head to the side cutely,

"Actually...I was thinking we..._make_ pizza." she replied softly. The former playboy thought on this for a moment, before a positive grin crawled across his face,

"I think you've got yourself an idea, there, babe."

...DADADADADADA...

Music was keeping them upbeat and moving as the two couples huddled among the large kitchen. Kori and Richard were molding pizza dough...he'd looked through Alfred's recipe books, and came across one for Italian food... Taking it from there, he and his girlfriend sifted through the pages until they came across the most desirable looking pizza they could find. From here, each teen had taken their own job. Rachel made the sauce...Gar shredded the cheese and cut up the the veggies and mushrooms for the pizza.

The dough was starting to take the texture the the teens wanted, so Dick took the liberty of using this as a moment to show off for his beautiful girlfriend. He lifted the large glob into his hands, and took it by the edge. In a swift swinging motion, he tossed it into the air, watched as it spun, and than caught it as it came back down. Kori smiled widely in amusement, and gave him a cute applause. Satisfied with her reaction, he repeated his action...only this time, when he caught it, the end of it ended up smacking the redhead lightly on the face, making the young man's jaw drop at the astonished look on her face.

"Tell me you didn't do that on purpose!" she squeaked through a laugh. It wasn't until than, that her boyfriend had noticed the flour on her nose. He couldn't help but chuckle and offer an innocent shrug,

"No, but maybe I should've. This is a good look for you, Kor." he teased. And at first, all she did was smile...but once he pulled out his phone and took a quick picture of her, it was a battle. She dipped her fingertips into the bowl of red sauce, and slid them across his face,

"How do you like it?" she asked triumphantly, making Dick grin. But the instant he noticed what his friends were doing, Gar burst into a small and rather hysterical fit of laughter.

"Dude! You've gotta let me take a picture of this!" he shrieked,

"No, Gar, we-" but before Kori could come up with an excuse, Richard grabbed her gently by the waist, and pulled her close, kissing her cheek,

"Smile pretty, babe." he said, poking at the side of her face. She couldn't hold back the laugh as her friend snapped the picture, catching her with an open mouth and a huge smile. Dick couldn't help but grin,

"You're gonna send me that, right?" he asked comically. Gar nodded, and his girlfriend rolled her eyes.

"You're evil." she spoke through a playful glare.

"You ain't seen nothing." her boyfriend replied, as he let her go with a light chuckle, returning to his task of molding the dough to the large pan. But as he squeezed down on the gooey sides, his short little friend's oddly acute hearing picked up the song on the radio, and began bouncing up and down.

"This is my song! Turn it up!" he exclaimed. Rachel-who was closest to the device-rolled her eyes, trying to act annoyed...but she kinda liked the song so she went along with her boyfriend's wishes. It was '_Rollin _by Limp Biskit. It seemed immediate...as soon as the volume went up, Gar jumped into the middle of the floor, and began spewing some extremely tack dance moves.

"Come on, Rae, you gotta dance with me." he beckoned...but the dark girl simply took a step in the opposite direction,

"I don't dance." she muttered.

"Than Kori has to." Dick interjected, as he gazed over to his beautiful girlfriend, expectantly.

"What?" she asked, her emerald eyes widening cutely.

"We need a girl to balance it out." he reasoned with a smirk. Kori thought about it for a moment, and a devilish smile appeared,

"Fine, but if I have to, you too, than." she replied, grabbing his hand, and pulling him into the more open part of the kitchen. Dick rolled his eyes, but for the first time in a long time, he didn't even think twice about looking 'cool' or not.

"Alright, I've got this." he said, before he broke into 'the lawn mower', crouching down, and grabbing an imaginary cord, pulling it back and fourth vigorously.

"What on _earth_ is that?!" Kori asked, trying to contain her laughter.

"That's a classic, baby." she only smirked, until Gar's face lit up,

"I got one!" he said, before walking by the cabinets with a sway in his step, and began initiating 'the shopping cart'. All three of the onlooking teens began laughing...so what could he do, other than eat it up? He than broke out, 'the sprinkler', putting one hand behind his head, and using the other to jerk right to left, as he slowly spun.

"No, Gar. Just...no." his girlfriend spoke through her amused smile...but it went ignored.

"Anyone know that running man?" Dick asked, curiously. Kori, of course, looked completely clueless...while their short green-haired friend looked...ashamed.

"I always fell on my face." he spoke softly...and after everyone took their turns laughing, the three teens began playing around with random dance moves.

_Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin', _

_WHAT!_

This was Kori's moment. She'd zoned into the song and had resorted to rolling her hips with the rhythm of the song...unaware of her friend's gaping jaws for a moment, as she kept dancing merrily...until, of course, she caught site of her boyfriend staring at her, and stopped abruptly.

"That..." he swallowed the dry lump that formed in his throat, "That's awesome." he stated, his voice cracking for a moment. The redhead's face darkened,

"W-what?" she asked, wondering if she'd done something wrong. But as he saw the conflict upon her face, he flashed her an award winning smile, and he grins, and opened his mouth to speak, before the oven cut him off.

-Beep-Beep-Beep-

It told them it was ready for the pizza.

"Come on, guys. I'm hungry." Rachel spoke softly, before she took the sauce and poured it over the round dough. Kori followed her lead and took a handful of the freshly shredded cheese, and began sprinkling onto the red goo.

"No, Kori, that's not right! Do it like this!" Gar interrupted, before he grabbed the entire cheesy bowl, and overturned it's entire contents onto the pie.

"Yeeeah. Cause it wasn't rich enough before." Rachel muttered, receiving a toothy grin.

"What about the pepperoni?" Kori asked, making the short little teen's jaw drop. To avoid one of his famous freak outs, Dick put a defensive hand up,

"It's vegetarian, Gar. Relax." but the blonde kid still looked skeptical.

"And the bacon?"

"Yepp!" Kori sang...and they went to covering the pizza. The beautiful redhead took the liberty of arranging the pepperoni across the large meal into a perfect spiral. She stopped and looked at it in admiration, before she noticed Dick's amused gaze switching between her and the pie. His brow arched and she offered a light smirk,

"What?" she asked, almost defensively.

"It's pretty." he told her. ...he had been joking, but she still beamed at him. Rachel took the liberty of dumping the bacon lackluster upon the pie,

"There." she said simply. Kori frowned, but laughed it off, as they set the pizza in the over, and set the timer.

…

…

…

With one another's company, the half hour seemed to fly by, and now the small team of friends were feasting happily on their creation. This was soon followed by a movie. Before they knew it, though, the clock had reached around 9 p.m...so Rachel and Gar said their goodbye's and made their departure, leaving our favorite teen couple alone...which they didn't necessarily mind. It took a good half hour to clean up the havoc they'd reaped upon the kitchen...but once they were finished, they made their way upstairs.

"I had fun today, Richard...thank you." Kori's angelic face looked him over in the sweetest way, as she watched him take a seat on her bed. He grinned and looked her over...even when she was a mess, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Me too, Kor...I'm glad." lame. But she accepted it happily and studied him for a moment. The way he relaxed into her pillows, and gestured for her to join him made her brow arch... With she sweetest smirk, and slithered over to her door, and swung it closed, with a light creak.

"Now get over here." he told her jokingly...but she turned to glance at him with a sassy smile, and flipped the switch, leaving the only light in the room coming from her small table lamp.

"As you wish." she spoke softly, before turning to face him, and making her way toward him with silent steps. He smiled as she knelt beside him on the bed, and sat up to kiss her...but she stopped him with her hand on his chest and pushed him back down gently. With a catlike grace, she began crawling up to him...over him, covering his body with her own, although maintaining distance between them. Her lips were hot and passionate as they pressed against his. She always seemed to take his breath away...but he couldn't say he minded. He leaned into her and deepened the kiss, tasting her slightly open mouth, and melting with the sensation of her tongue alongside his.

"Mmm, how did I get so lucky?" he asked in a daze...but she didn't quite answer. Simply kissed down his jaw, to his neck, where she kissed, nipped, and than softly blew on the vulnerable flesh, causing him to freeze and release a soft groan...much to her approval. She bit the lobe of his ear lightly, and moved down a foot or two, just enough to lift his shirt, and place a few sultry kisses down his toned abs...and than a little lower to the button of his jeans. He froze in response, and looked down to meet her eyes staring up at him seductively.

"You think that's lucky? Just wait." and with that, she reached up and turned off her lamp.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Yes, I know it was extremely rushed. But being a longer chapter...and me being in such an angst mood...I figured I may quickie finish it, and put it up for y'all, instead of wait for my angsty phase to pass...cause that'd probably take a while. Lol

Either way, messy, yes...but what did y'all think?

If my loyal readers like it, I'll circle back and rewrite it when the story is finished.

Please give your input.

And yes...I expect-and rather deserve-flames.


	62. Chapter 62: Time

So after the disaster that was my last chapter, I've decided to take my time with this delicacy of a chapter. Lol

A little cheesy, I know. A strangely good mood I'm in...hope I don't seem too crazy!

Either way...it's a shorter one. But I packed it with detail and tried to get it to where y'all could feel everything that's going on.

Without further ado...enjoy.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

It was around eight that morning, and the sun was peaking through the closed purple drapes, casting violet light through the dim room. A pair of drowsy jade eyes-that belonged to our favorite teenage redhead-fluttered open...and the sight she awoke to brought an upward curve to her lips. Richard. Well, if her morning consisted of this, it was sure to be a beautiful day.

As gently as she could, she pulled the blanket over the two of them, and maneuvered her slender hand up to rest upon his sleeping face. Her heart almost began to swell with emotions upon the contact...it was overwhelming the sensation of adoration that seemed to take her over as she gazed upon him... Overtaken, she leaned in to place a light kiss upon his cheek. ...could she even count the things the loved about him? Unlikely... He was the kind of miracle that came once in a lifetime. She could even hear lyrics in her head about him...

_Take another look, _

_Take a look around. _

_It's you an me, it's here and now. _

_I just want you to see, _

_I'll always believe, _

_You are the miracle in me._

That's just what he was... X'hal, the things she adored about him... She could start with the obvious... His eyes...deep and secretive...yet they seemed to spew so much about him, if you knew what to look for. His lips...and the crooked grin he formed when he was either mischievous, or had a little 'you're so cute' look on his face... Or the way he often took her face in his hands when he wanted to give her a kiss out of spontaneous sweetness. She loved his laugh. She loved the feeling she got when he took her hand in his. Or the feeling she got when she laid her head on his chest... That was one of the best. Hard and soft at the same time... The rise and fall of his chest rocking her to sleep...his heartbeat singing to her...and his warmth wrapping around her like a blanket of protection. ...it'd be hard to let that one go.

How was she going to let this go? ...she knew the answer, of course. She had no choice. None at all. So why linger on it? Why not absorb and savor the moments she still had? She couldn't find a contradiction with that thought...and went back to gazing at him lovingly. The sound of his breathing-however quiet-relaxed her...it was hard not to snuggle back into him and sleep for the remainder of the day. But she had something else in mind...perhaps breakfast in bed...coffee...something nice. She didn't know where it came from, but there was a strong urge to do something nice for him today. And she would. He loved sausage...maybe biscuits and gravy?

She could worry about that later. For now, she just wanted to keep looking at him. That's something she was entirely sure she would never tire of. This was site she could spend an eternity peering at. She wanted to pounce on him and cover every inch of his face with kisses. Pull him into a bone-crushing hug...bury her face in his neck and momentarily drown in his scent. But hey, that was love, wasn't it? ...she fell for a human. One she couldn't even be with. But none of that even mattered at the moment. The impossibility and inevitable consequence to her action didn't even phase her... Not right now. Right now...lying beside him...that's all she needed...all that even mattered...

"X'hal, Richard...if you only knew-" but something stopped her. A mysterious noise... But what was it? For a moment, she lie perfectly still, allowing the silence to embrace the room, and listened for it to repeat itself.

-knock-knock-knock-

There was someone at her door.

"Yes?" the beautiful redhead asked, almost in a whisper, so as not to wake her sleeping boyfriend. Casting her gaze to the open doorway, she watched as the elderly, friendly, and pleasantly familiar face of Alfred poked through in a wary glance.

"Ms. Korina, Master Bruce has requested to see you." ...the tone of his voice made the bliss wash clear from her face, but she smiled sweetly and offered him a confirmation nod. ...something told her that she wasn't going to like what was waiting for her... But no negativity allowed, without reason, she reminded herself, and leaned down to place a light kiss upon Richard's cheek before slipping out from under the covers and making her way to the door. Thankfully she had put her robe on last night...she just realized she'd forgotten to check her apparel before getting up. Stealing one more look at the handsome young man in her bed, she hugged herself and exited the room with a fake curiosity in her eyes.

It felt almost as she was walking to the gallows, as her feet carried her toward her destination. Something about this felt so wrong. Usually, Alfred made small talk with her as he escorted her through the massive home... And even if he didn't, he had a sweetness to him. A comfort. Something that just made her feel relaxed. Calm. This wasn't the case. This was just...cold. He stood rigid, almost jerking with every step he took...as if he were wanting to turn around and run the other way...quite possibly taking her with him. No. Something was gravely bothering him. Even as he flashed her a comforting grin when he caught her looking at him. He didn't hide it very well. This was...well, it made her stomach do back flips. The ungraceful and uncomfortable kind.

The two had almost silently agreed that the cat was out of the bag: this wasn't a happy consultation. Even though there were no words passed between them. Silence told Kori all she needed to know for the time being... Whatever was waiting for her in the room a few yards up wouldn't be something casual or...enjoyable. Already, she found herself clenching her fists and fighting back the breathlessness trying to creep its way into her throat. Just twelve or so steps left...eleven...ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one... It took more strength than she cared to admit to proceed forward.

The doorway to the billionaire's office seemed cold and uninviting...the tension in the air was unmistakable, yet...unrecognizable at the same time. The persistent churning in her stomach made her want to return to her room and climb back into bed with Richard...that would surely be more pleasant than standing in this room. She remained, of course, taking a glance back at the hallway, only to notice Alfred had already left her. A shiver overtook her for the moment, but she stepped further into the cold room, and held her breath...waiting for Bruce to acknowledge her presence.

"Please...close the door." his voice was lifeless and almost made her weak in the knees-in the worst possible way. The questions were running through her head mercilessly, but she did as he instructed.

The click of the door triggered the broad man to turn and face her. But it took her a moment to muster the courage to look at him. She momentarily preoccupied her gaze upon her surroundings. Papers strewn lackluster among his massive oak desk...most of his drawers were slightly open, and obviously had recently been shuffled through. It looked almost as if a miniature twister had torn through just to stir things up... The large monitor mounted upon the east wall was flickering with the kind of screen that told her some sort of transmission had just ended...

The beating in her chest grew louder and she managed to face her temporary caregiver. ...and the look on his face made her heart sink deep into the fuzzy socks on her feet. The furrow of his brows...the dark circles that drooped under his eyes... The light fold in his tightly closed lips. And the fear...worry...genuine horror in his gaze. She matched it instantaneously, and felt her body start to shake. Her breath seemed to be running away from her...the room was almost spinning...and it took all she had to keep her balance, and she looked up at him through slightly glassy green orbs.

...Kori knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what he'd called her in for...

"I-It's time, isn't it?"

XOXOXOXOXOX

BAM! Dun dun dun...cliffie?!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me what you thought.

I wrote this in one big swing...highly motivated, and in the ZONE, so I'm INCREDIBLY eager to hear what y'all thought...

Review, review, review!

...please.


	63. Chapter 63: Kori's An Alien?

Ahh! 400 reviews! Y'all are awesome!

Voila! New chapter! Short, yes. But I hope y'all enjoy!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

_Richard, _

_I'll not try (and likely fail) to explain my actions. All I can do is give you my sincerest of apologies and pray to X'hal that you can come to terms. I know you deserve reasons I fear I cannot give. I have no right to ask your forgiveness, so I won't. But I part you with this; _

_You have been the single most amazing blessing of my life...in all of its entirety. These months have created the memories that I will cherish always. I wish for you all the happiness imaginable. You're earned it...And I wish you the best of luck to go with it. _

_Love always, _

_Kori. _

It was no later than 3:30 that afternoon, when the former playboy burst violently, letter in hand, into his adopted father's chambers,

"Bruce!" he shouted through a sharp panicked tone, that made the startled billionaire look up with furrowed brows,

"What?" he asked...but Dick shook his head, and tightened his grasp on the paper, trying desperately to find the volume to put to his words.

"She's gone! Kori's gone!" he exclaimed. His entire body was shaking...from shock. From fear. From curiosity...he didn't know. His mind was flooded with too many haunting thoughts to count. He looked Bruce over, hoping to find some sort of answer...but the broad man's face flatten. He was impatient...slamming the letter on the desk, and watching as his father's eyes skimmed through it. ...but there was no emotion. His lack of surprise made Dick raise his defenses.

"What?" he snapped. With a sigh, Bruce pulled a red envelope from his drawer...the same one Kori had gotten a couple months prior.

"Dick...I think you need to sit down...there's something we need to talk about..." he began. But the young man had no intention of sitting down.

"**What?**" he asked again, obviously not waiting any longer than he had to. It came off strong. There was no mistaking what was running through his head. And reading the desperation in his gaze, Bruce simply nodded with a slightly nervous sigh.

"Come with me." he instructed as he rose to his feet. For a moment, he stopped and leaned over his desk, to hit the red button on the intercom on his desk. Relaying a message to Alfred to take over the phones and take messages-he'd get back to them shortly, he turned back to his son, and reluctantly gestured him to leave. This wasn't going to have a pretty outcome...he was already weighing the depths of Richard's reactions as they walked down toward the cave. He expected anger. No...not anger. Rage. He never took kindly to 'being left out of the loop'. He could already imagine the 'I'm not a kid, Bruce! I had a right to know this stuff about my girlfriend!' etc... He wasn't looking forward to spilling these particular beans.

But after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the bat cave. Typing in the authorization code, and walking through, the dynamic duo entered in silence...one from nerves. And the other from anticipation.

Bruce went straight to his desk, sitting in his chair as he always did, punching a bunch of buttons at a lightning speed. A long note appeared on the screen...but Dick couldn't read it. It was in some sort of foreign language. His instinct told him it was Kori's native script...but the details didn't matter. He watched his father punch in a few more codes, until he heard the 'translation on' confirmation...and read as it turned into English. ...his stomach began churning, the further he read. Her brother was assassinated. Her sister took over. ...she was being offered to the Tameranian enemies as a peace token... He felt sick. Dizzy. ...and determined.

"Where is this place? I've got to go after her." he managed after choking back his lunch from reappearing that had tried coming back up. But Bruce shook his head...making his son's anxiety rise.

"It's more complicated than-"

"I don't care! I'll buy her freedom from them if I have to!" he snapped, cutting his father off mid-sentence with sharp words. Both men knew he was telling the truth. But it didn't matter. Bruce wasn't letting this get out of hand. If it took the cold, hard facts, than so be it. He could have to kill him with the truth.

"You don't be able to get there, Dick." but the playboy almost took this as a challenge.

"I can squeeze through their security. You and I both know that." there was a slight pride in his voice, but for one of the first times in his life, it didn't even matter. The determination in his eyes was unmistakable...though it acted as a red flag to the billionaire.

"Perhaps you should take a seat, Dick..." he warned...but even with his utmost sincerity, his comment angered the young man.

"No! I want to go after her! I don't have time for-"

"Make time! If you won't even give me the chance to explain, you have no chance of helping her." he knew that would get his attention...and when he was finally answered with a reluctant nod, he continued, "You know as well as I. Foreign politics are a messy business. And the government we're talking about is different. Just like Korina is different." Dick knew he wasn't done explaining. The tone he used led him to keep listening...but something else in it made him suspicious.

"I don't-"

"Listen to me! There were things about her that you don't know. Many things that had to be kept a secret." he began, prepping himself for the fireworks that were bound to ignite as they went into the 'you couldn't know, for your own/her own protection'...but Richard was surprisingly calm. Looking Bruce over in silence, and swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Than you can tell me on the way to Tameran. I'm going to prep the jet." he muttered, before he started to turn away.

"You won't need the jet." the broad man's voice stopped him mid-turn. Cautiously, he looked over his shoulder, anger smoldering in his eyes.

"And why not?" he hissed. Bruce took a moment to gather himself...taking a deep breath, and releasing it so slowly, it turned into a heavy sigh.

"Because Tameran isn't another country, it's another planet."

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...yeah. Another cliffie! ...sort of.

Gotta keep y'all wanting more! Can't have ya giving up on me. Lol

But please review. I know it was short, but I'd love to hear what y'all thought.

The more y'all review, the quicker I'll update;)


	64. Chapter 64: Bound To Them

Another update? So soon?  
>(Another short chapter? So soon?)<br>Yes, I'm afraid so. But better keep y'all updated as much as possible instead of having you wait who knows how long for a LONG chapter? I don't know. But no worries. The longer ones will come.

Enjoy:)

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Because Tameran isn't another country, it's another planet." Bruce's words hit the young man like a sack of bricks to the face.

"W-What?" Dick managed, trying to piece together any kind of sense from that statement. It...could it be true? His girlfriend...was an...an alien? Could she really be from another world? It...it didn't make sense. She was so normal. Special, yes...undeniably. But...otherworldly? He couldn't make it fit in his head... But seeing his struggle, Bruce sighed, and looked away for a moment,

"Tameran is a planet...and Korina returned for its salvation." he stated, meeting his son's eyes again. But the second part made Dick's stomach drop... '_She returned for its salvation.'..._what did that mean? Maybe he knew. But the thought of logic behind sent a chill down his spine.

"What? She...what?" he stuttered, praying silently that his father would elaborate.

"Her planet is at war, as I've mentioned. So she was-for obvious reasons-at risk there. She's quite valuable to the Tameranian enemy..." but he trailed off, recognizing the questions in the boy's eyes as he processed the information.

"...why would she go back, than? You...you just let her go?! Because of a stupid letter!" his rage was bubbling the more he played it back. If it was so dangerous, and Bruce let her go, than this was his fault! If anything happened to her, he would never forgive him.

"It was ordered by her sister-the ruler of Tameran. And I had no choice." the blunt statement felt like a slap in the face. He wanted to argue. Say there's always a choice. But he knew that argument all too well. It wasn't going to get him anywhere. Not like he needed. So he swallowed and continued with agony,

"What's gonna happen to her?" Bruce put a hand on his shoulder,

"Dick-"

"And you never told me!" Richard snapped angrily, pulling away. But now it was the older man's turn to be on the defensive. If his son was truly as naïve to believe his knowledge would make a difference...or not even make a difference. But not risk compromising the mission.

"Of course not! It was a very fragile situation, and the instant you saw her, you were emotionally involved." he pointed out, with a slightly demeaning tone. Dick, who hated being talked to or treated like a child, formed a hateful glare upon his handsome face,

"Even more reason for you to tell me what's going on! I can't-...look, it doesn't matter. I'm going after her." he quickly decided that fighting was pointless, and closed his statement with a cold fact. But Bruce felt a surge of discomfort slide into his gut.

"Dick...you can't." he drilled, hoping his son would allow him to explain.

"I'll get there one way or another...even if I have to call Clark Kent, or someone from the league." Dick wasn't about to drop it. This mattered to him more than anything else ever had. No stupid rules were going to keep him here. Kori was an alien. So be it. That didn't even matter to him. He loved her. And he was going to save her. But Bruce shook his head. Logic was his only weapon. All the facts were right in front of him. He just had to find a way to sort out the emotions well enough for the young man to see them.

"Than you'll be interfering with foreign national security. I hate it as much as you do, but there's nothing that either of us can do." but he knew his words were poorly chosen the instant they passed through his lips. He could even almost hear the 'challenge accepted' ringing through Dick's head.

"I refuse to believe that." the playboy said simply with the shake of his head. But Bruce sighed and looked down,

"Dick...she agreed to this." and he spoke the truth...he wished it weren't the truth. Even _he_ felt his skin crawl when he thought about the fate that would overtake the beautiful girl... But he couldn't make it personal. That was superhero rule number one. And Dick had broken it...it was written all over his face. These words hurt him.

"She agreed to leave me, forever, without so much as a goodbye?" No. She wouldn't do that. Whether she thought she had a choice, or not. Something _had_ to be missing. She wouldn't break his heart like this. She wouldn't do it.

"It was before she even met you... And It was an attempt to save her people." well, that answered his mental debate. But he still couldn't bring himself to accept it. Perhaps it was pride, at this point...but he knew it weren't true. It was need. Personal need. He needed her. So he searched in his head for anything to argue with. Anything at all to make Bruce's words faulty.

"Bullshit. Otherwise she'd have done that in the first place, not bothered to come here." The billionaire looked down and shook his head,

"When her brother was alive, he was the Grand Ruler. He wanted to resolve conflict politically. He tried saving her." the pain in his voice was evident, no matter how much he tried to keep it hidden. But Richard swallowed the sharp lump in his throat and shook his head...almost offended, and conjuring up a new found hatred for Kori's late brother.

"Oh, so what?She's a fail-safe? Hell no." he growled. His girlfriend wasn't a safety net. She was an angel offering her own life for the good of others? Yeah, that's probably true. He could see her doing something like that. But he wouldn't let her. It wasn't anyone on Tameran's decision. The fact that they'd allow her to sacrifice herself for that made his blood boil. It was wrong. _So_ incredibly wrong.

"Her sister already commanded it. She's the new Grand Ruler." His father's words tore him from his inward fuming. But he didn't care what was 'commanded'. They couldn't control her. She was a human being...in general terms.

"I don't give a damn. I'll kidnap her if that's what it takes." he hissed truthfully. But the gray eyes that watched him looked into him deeply, desperate to find something that would make him see this for what it was.

"Dick...she's bound to them now..." the older man stated, hopelessly. But Dick shook his head,

"She doesn't belong to them, Bruce!" he shouted, with hands stretched out beside him, suddenly infuriated with his own father, for assuming she was an object for barter. But Bruce released a pained sigh...as much as he wanted it to be untrue, he looked up at his son with his last...most delicate piece of reason.

"You're right...but her **life** does..."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Not sure how proud I am of this one. But I'm eager to hear y'all's thoughts.


	65. Chapter 65: He's My Son

Gahhh, another short chapter. But the next will be longer. It'll also take a bit longer to get online, so hang on, guess. I'll get it up there for ya!

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

There was no need to leave a letter...he'd already decided. His destination would be obvious...he had told his father flat out earlier. And his reasons were there too. He didn't need to explain further. It was all there. To him, it didn't matter if he was found out or not. Nothing could stop him from leaving. She needed him. Somehow, in his mind, it became a certainty that she would die unless he came to save her. That-if he stayed in Gotham-she would be taken. Tortured. And killed. And although that may indeed be reality...he churned it through his head to the point, it almost became-no. It _did_ become obsession.

He was her only hope. He was the only one that could save her. If he didn't act, she would die. In his head, there was no other solution. ...so fully suited, and amped on adrenaline, he checked everything over with a final glance. The sigh tugged at his lips, as he stepped aboard the jet,

"So long, Bruce. ...wish me luck."

…

…

…

A tad out of character, the elderly butler stormed into Bruce's office, slamming the large wooden door to the wall, as he shoved through it. Fear and a panicked worry took the place of the usual relaxed face of the white-haired, as he reached the desk where his boss sat with evident concern. Too many times today has someone barged straight into this room...has he come to expect it? That's up for debate. He looked up at Alfred with questions in his eyes,

"Sir! Master Grayson is gone." the wary gray eyes widened,

"What?" he managed... Part of him expected this... Dick disobeying his orders, and hurrying away into some sort of 'set-to-fail' rescue attempt. But the facts weren't all there. He was gone? How? Bruce had already given word to the League not to assist the young man in his dooming endeavor, should request it. And he knew that when he gave an order, it would be honored. There were no tools or forms of transportation in the cave capable of intergalactic travel... If he was gone, that left the question...how? But the conflict in his eyes was obvious to Alfred, who offered a slow and rather hesitant nod,

"As is Diana's jet..." he added, as if reading Bruce's mind, carefully biting his tongue afterwords, waiting for his employer to react. He was slightly surprised, as it were, when the billionaire's tightly clenched fists relaxed, and his stern face adopted a look of defeat...

"God damnit..." was all he could muster, while piecing it together in his head. That familiar and bothersome question 'how' entered again...it didn't make sense... The location of his ex-wife's prized 'invisible jet' was always kept under the utmost secrecy...the access code for it was known only to him. Not to mention; you can't exactly _see_ what you're doing when using it. The only way to operate it was if you knew it like the back of your hand. Which Dick couldn't possibly... It didn't make sense. It just didn't make sense...

"He went after her, didn't he?" but the butler's question barely even registered... Bruce was too lost in thought.

"I never even told him we kept the jet." he blurted, mindlessly, still searching for some kind of sense in the cloud that encased his thoughts... Alfred was watching cautiously, trying to work the same puzzle,

"Perhaps the monitor override...?" he offered, suddenly feeling out of place-if not helpless altogether. But Bruce gave up trying to piece together the 'why' and the 'how'. They didn't matter as much as the 'what' did... But never had the caped crusader felt so lost. He was emotionally compromised, it seemed...something he swore would never happen again... But this time, he wasn't at fault. This time, he could truly say he felt helpless. He had been compromised by the single person he never expected to have to worry about...

"What do I do, Alfred? I can't go after him... But I can't do nothing... He's my son." it was a feeling he possessed that he desperately wanted to be rid of. He'd never been positively speechless in all his adult hears... There were many different approaches surging through his head. One had to work...there just had to be a way out of this.

"Do you have the means to get there?" Alfred asked, visibly hoping to shine assistance into the dreary circumstance. Bruce saw what the elderly man was trying to do...and he offered a quick glance to express his light appreciation, before his gaze returned to his cluttered desk. He ran his butler's question through his head for momentary analyzing...but his face turned serious. It was foolish to grant such a simple suggestion such consideration.

"To gain access, as well? No. I can get there...but we're not welcome. They won't grant us entrance." he reasoned. And it was true. As far as Kori's captors were concerned, Earth had absolutely no business-or relevance-in this happenstance. A random human appears at their doorstep? They're an extremely hostile race. It wouldn't have a happy or casual result. He couldn't barge in and simply ask one of the guards 'hey, have you seen my son?' Yeah...good luck with that one. He couldn't get in there...it just wouldn't work.

"Than how does Master Grayson intend-"

"He's not thinking on those terms...he's thinking of _her_." Bruce cut him off before he even had the chance to waste any more thought with that question. Both of them knew the young man well enough to know that...if he set his mind on something significant to him...there was no stopping him. It was almost like tunnel vision. He wouldn't look ahead to see the consequences. He'd jump and pray he'd land on his feet. And that's just what he did here. Neither of them had any reason to suspect otherwise. He was thinking with his heart. He was going to where she was. But they both knew...he hadn't planned it any further from the moment he saw her again. ...if he even made it that far.

"And what if he gets there, and they catch him?" Alfred asked, worriedly, as he played the scenario through his head. But this is when Bruce's face turned almost pale... He sat in silence for a moment, almost looking as if he was about to vomit.

"They'll kill him..."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Don't kill me! I love you!


	66. Chapter 66: Rescue Attempt

New chapter, new chapter, new chapter.

Umm...yeah...enjoy?

Sorry it took so long... I didn't have time to proof read it either. I'm pretty sure it sucks...but...eh... I love y'all?

I've been insanely busy...so it's update what I have now, or wait until Wednesday, when I have time to write more.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

11:48 a.m. (Earth time). Christ, he'd been here almost three hours and there was still no trace of Kori. Dick glanced around the stone corner warily, attempting to calculate his next big move. Thankfully, oxygen on this planet was the same level as it was on Earth. Not so thankfully, the gravity was at least 150% what he was used to. This not only slowed him down; but it threw off his stamina and above all, endurance. He was growing tired... Already, he could feel his muscles aching. Silently pleading for a rest, but one he wouldn't grant. Time was of the essence. Every second was precious. The longer he took to get to her, the more mangled the outcome. He couldn't gamble. Not with her. For the sake of itself, Dick had to assume she was in line for death row, waiting for her turn. If he didn't get to her immediately, she would die.

Twisted, it may be...but he pressed on. Once the young man deemed the coast clear, he moved-stealth ad silent, as if just another shadow in the night carried noiselessly by the passing of the moon. (Or whatever they called that strange blue orb which hovered above their skyline.) He was coming from the palace...a large overdone regal structure which had been his first bet, considering the royal status and value his girlfriend was said to possess. No such luck. He could check the housing...but his gut told him that it would do no good. It seemed more like housing for security officials, not civilians...

A strange town this was... The gravel was a faint pink/orange color...if you could call it gravel. It was heavy, thick, and dry. Whatever plants they had were either pathetic, barren excuses for 'trees', or some odd and rather...aquatic looking leaf bundles that seemed to pop up randomly along the ground. All the houses looked identical, save the numbers on the posts outside (which he could only assume were mailbox equivalents.) They each had the same boxed shape of a deep beige. No windows. Just a simple red roof, and matching stone door. ...there were dozens of them, lined up almost obsessively. This didn't seem like the kind of place where this town's-or whatever you'd call it-population would reside. This seemed almost...like a small base. So he took treading through this area _very_ carefully.

There was a voice in the back of his head...it told him not to worry. To relax. It would make sense...if this was the guards' station, than they'd likely be wherever Kori was. Occupied with a new and more precious task. ...but he couldn't take that chance. He had no idea what 'time' it was here. Was he was in the middle of the day? Was it night time? Was it excruciatingly early? He had no idea. While he could assume that the inhabitants of this town were occupied with something else...he chose not to. He'd tiptoe through the area as if each small building was full of toxic gas, and the ground was laced with trip wires. Not a sound would be made. Not a heavy movement. Nothing risky. Nothing but stealth.

It was actually pretty impressive, how good he was at this. Years of practice had perfected it, yes... But even with the increased gravity and the strange and very crusty ground he stood on...he didn't make a single sound. Every step his heavy metal boots made were answered with silence. No cracking gravel. No light dragging sound as he scooped his foot up for another step forward. No... There was nothing. Dick silently made his way through, growing more and more thankful that the 'houses' had no windows whatsoever. This was the easy part, he quickly decided. This wouldn't take long. This was the safe pass. ...of course...the massive stone cube ahead of him didn't look quite the same story.

Upon seeing it, the young hero's breath caught in his lungs. He knew immediately what it was... It was the prison. And somehow...he knew this is where Kori was.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Another hour in...he couldn't lose his head just yet. Just his luck, it seemed, that the prison was set up like a maze. So many dead ends. So many doors with signs he couldn't read. Confusing corridors...misleading halls and parting columns. He had no idea where he was going...but eventually he would find her. That had to be a certainty. He was taking this building from one corner to another. Eventually, he had to cover every inch of it. Eventually, he had to stumble across her. As far as he knew, there was only this level...how much longer could it possibly take? No...don't think like that. Just press on.

That's exactly what he did. Leaning against the far wall, he molded to it and snaked further through the unexplored territory. Right foot, left...right foot, left...and he kept quiet. The stone met his steps with silence...but still, he detected the sound of footsteps. This was adrenaline in the worst dosage.. There was someone there. More than one someone, judging by the sound of it... Should he stand and fight? '_No...that's stupid. Don't do it. Wait for the coast to be clear._' the voice in the back of his head was clearly opposed.

Part of him wanted to fight. He'd likely have to take out a bunch of the guards, anyway...why wait? Why not nab them as they came? ...but he knew the logic behind it. He didn't know how many of them there could be. Nor did he know other important details, such as...how easy were they to fight? How long would it take for him to knock one out? Would he be able to fend off each of them before they managed to call for more? ...this was precarious...and it wasn't worth the risk. Every move had to be perfectly planned. Every variable had to be considered. There was no guess work. His expertise was going to be put to the test.

Lurching back, he ducked into an oddly shaped dip in the large stone wall...and when the hallway filled with silence, the young hero wouldn't dare so much as breathe.

"Did you hear something?" Dick's heartbeat caught in his throat. 'No...no, you didn't hear anything. Keep going. Keep moving. Don't worry about me!' ...but silence. They were listening for him. And...what was that sound? ...sniffing for him? They were trying to _sniff_ him out? He had to move...fast. But where?

His masked eyes set to work darting among his surroundings, looking for something. Considering he'd backed himself into a corner, it didn't seem he had too many options. He just _might_ have to stand his ground and fight. But wait...something caught his eye. The high corner of the wall he leaned on seemed to have a large indent. Was it...faulty construction? Or was there something there? ...he could only hope for the lather as he reached up to try touching it. Just out of his reach. Crap. He couldn't trigger his grappling hook without notifying the guards of his presence. ...he'd had to take the risk and jump for it.

There were two possible outcomes at the moment. One was, he leaped up for it, and caught it. Assuming, of course, that it was a large enough opening for him to slip into. The other possibility was that he failed to catch it-or it was too small for him-and he let known his position...and would have to fight. Either way...he was cornered, they were drawing nearer, and this mystery opening seemed his only option.

The hero set a mental countdown in his head. He'd jump on three. ...slowly, he lifted his arms to reach, and took in a deep breath. Three...two...one-spring. He launched himself as hard as his legs would allow him, making him lose his coordination entirely. ...he hadn't seen this coming. As soon as his feet left the ground, he felt suddenly...disoriented. As if he were spinning. It was sickening-focus. You have a goal. Don't let your head get fuzzy. Just keep reaching and grab...and he did. His fingers caught on the strange ledge. There seemed to be some sort of gap there...enough, at least, for him to deem it reasonable to hoist himself up. He got his elbows in...shoulders...head...torso...ha! It was like a tunnel.

You'd think his first thought would be 'where does this lead?' but no...absentmindedly, he began crawling. Right...left...left...right, again... Suddenly he came upon another opening...straight down...something about it called to him. He hated entrances like this. If he didn't approach it just right, he'd fall straight into the jaws of trouble. Normally, he'd take a mental note of its location, skip it, and look for an alternative. But this wasn't the 'normal' situation. Time was ticking. And his gut was gesturing. Something about this..._room_. He wanted to take a further look.

Slowly, but surely, Dick slipped the small mirror from his belt. It was small and rectangular...but it would do the trick. He lowered it through the hole, and tried angling it to check the corners...but he couldn't see a thing. Whatever room or dwelling this was, it was pitch black... This made a lump form in the back of his throat. Normally, darkness like this was a plus. If there were beings in such a place, surely _some_ light would be present. But he had to think of it from every angle... What if this was a trap? He choked back his doubt and shook his head. It didn't matter. He'd prepare a weapon and assume there was someone waiting for him down there. Whether there was or wasn't...he had to go through.

Taking a deep breath, Dick slipped his small mirror back into his pocked and made sure his bostaff was easily accessible. Here goes nothing... He went feet first, holding firmly to the edge of his station, and lowered himself down slowly.

This room was cold... Far colder than anywhere else he'd been in the strange building. The air was stiff and uncomfortable...and there was an unsettling metallic smell. Silent. There was no sound. He had to step quietly. One foot in front of the other, one arm in front of him, one behind...he was mentally trying to prepare himself for anything...until he heard a very small dragging noise. His guard went straight up and he took a fighting stance.

-cough-cough-

...what? Dick began backing up slowly, hoping to touch a wall...but he didn't. His back was met by a wrought iron barred door. Confusion swept over him. As carefully as he could, he removed a small flashlight from his utility belt and clicked it on, preparing for the worst.

In front of him, there was nothing. Just empty space, stone walls, and a very cold cement floor. He was almost afraid to check the-what he assumed to be a cage-behind him...but he slowly turned around. Shining the light forward, it seemed just as empty as his other surroundings. It was a safe call to say that he was growing frustrated... He swept the light in a slow wave, covering the entire cell with light as he looked for the source of what had made that sound. Until he stopped. ...what...what was that? Could that be...what he thought it was? ...could that really be...Kori?

"Yes, I'm still here. You don't have to keep checking on me." she spoke bitterly, not even bothering to look up. ...Dick felt sick looking upon her. She was curled into a tight ball, clearly bruised...there were a handful of bloodied cuts. Thankfully, none looked terrible. Simple scrapes. But it still made his stomach churn to imagine how she was being treated by being here. ...and she was supposed to spend the rest of her life like this? No... He couldn't bare the thought of it.

His heart wanted to leap out of his chest as he imagined pulling her into his arms and taking her back home...carry her bridal style onto the ship. Tuck her in to the passenger seat...smooth sailing from there. Get back to Gotham...don't even worry about cleaning her up tonight...just pull her into his bed and hold her close, as if there wouldn't be a tomorrow. ...the thought made him so motivated, a slight grin broke across his face. Eagerly, but slowly, he turned his flashlight upward, catching his face in it, and slowly getting Kori to catch it too.

Upon seeing him, her eyes widened, and her jaw visibly dropped open. She felt the breath stolen from her lungs, and the beating in her chest almost sounded like the intro to a Metallica song. Her mind-which had been fighting so hard for the past day and a half to block everything out-was going into a sensory/emotional overload... There were far too many things running through her to comprehend the situation, and she had to reboot. ...there was joy, of course. She thought she'd never see his face again. There was excitement...he was here. With her, right now. ...but there was also fear. ...and once she paid even a spec of attention to it...that's what took over the most.

"W-what...I..." For a moment, she thought she was going to choke on her words. "X'hal, Richard, you must leave." she managed weakly, still wondering second guessing whether or not her mind was playing tricks on her, and she was just talking to a projection of her imagination. Dick was taken back by this... Safe to say, after a good five...six...who even knows how many hours of searching he's fulfilled this evening...this was certainly not something he expected to hear from her. He'd expected a warm and 'happy-to-see-you' hug, kiss, and something along the lines of 'let's get out of here'. ...he wouldn't allow himself to stumble upon it, however. He was too stubborn to acknowledge this.

"I will...once I get you out of this thing." he assured her, violently fighting the urge to break the large metal door town, and run to her. It felt so wrong talking to her through a set of iron bars.

"No...you-...how did you find me?" Kori was still at a loss of thought. Reaction? There were a million she wanted to give all at once. Was he really here? Had he really come to rescue her? Was he really in proximity for her to simply reach her hand forward and feel his cheek against her hand? She couldn't bear it... She forced herself to her feet and approached warily. ...she could smell his cologne... He was here. ...he was definitely here. Standing right in front of her... All she could do was search him with her eyes...search him for answers. For reason.

"By combining sources." his voice was almost melodic in the darkness of such a hell...a miniature blessing, all in itself. She almost wished he'd keep talking, simply for the sake of hearing it...but the logic was beating down on her like a heavy drum.

"But I-I can't leave...you...I...it's complicated. But please...you need to get out of here." she managed through the tears that were already starting to come down. ...this was its own personal torture. He was standing right in front of her-less than arms length away...prepared to take her away from this place. But it was false. Wrong. And most important, impossible.

"I know more than you think I do." he tried assuring her. All she could do was look down...the guilt began to settle in as she played it through her head. Dick, on the other hand, had sort of come to expect this. That she would assume he knew nothing...considering he hadn't heard any of it from her. Kori had always been so strict on keeping her business to herself...and it struck her now... All she could do was look away.

"I told you that it wasn't good for us to be together..." her voice was soft and weak...but her words cut him like a knife.

"How can you say that?" Richard asked her through his furrowed brows. She swallowed the lump in her throat before managing to look back up at him. All the pain she'd felt moments prior seemed to double as she saw the hurt in his masked gaze.

"Look around you-"

"Kori, you are single-handedly the best thing that ever happened to me. Don't say we weren't good for each other... I think we're pretty damn close to perfect." he spoke nothing but the truth...she knew that. But it wasn't that simple... Sure, by _human_ standards, they were perfect... But this...she was war property. And he was one human. It was like the Romeo and Juliet from hell. It was hard for her to believe that he just didn't see what she did...the facts.

"But look at this..." he just shook his head,

"I am...and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." his words cut her like a sharp blade. Kori couldn't react...the aching in her heart made her silent, as she choked back a hopeless sob...nothing she said would make anything better... It wouldn't mend any pain. And it certainly wouldn't make this easier. The man she loved was right there in front of her, willing to take her away...but she couldn't go with him. He'd come all this way for nothing...sad...but true.

His hand on the side of her face pulled her out of her mental self-bashing for the moment. She looked him over, wishing she could rip his mask clear off his face and see his eyes one last time... But still, she remained silent and unmoving...watching like a zombie as his thumb scraped a tear from her cheek,

"I wish you knew just how much I love you." Kori closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, closing her hand over his. She wanted him to stay. Wanted to break through these bars, wrap her arms around him, and never let go. ...but 'want' didn't matter here. Every second that she wasted, he could be in more danger... it was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

"I-I love you too...more than you'll ever know...but this...it can't work...you have to leave." the was a desperation in her voice...something that almost made the young hero consider...after all, it was quite convincing. But he quickly decided that it didn't matter.

"I will. With you." he assured her, taking a grasp on her hand, and squeezing it tightly...but she pulled it away and took a step back,

"I can't go with you. I'm here to settle a war." her reason was set in stone. Known to both parties. But to Dick, it was irrelevant. Bullshit. Worthless information.

"And it's wrong that they sacrifice you to save themselves." he spat...oh, how it angered him at the thought of her people offering her up on a silver planet to these hostile monsters to save themselves...

"I'm one person...they're an entire population. Richard, I am one person to thousands. It is...I...my duty is here, now." Kori was careful to ease her words on him...but they hadn't made him feel any better. Instead, he fell a little deeper into what she referred to as 'stubborn-mode' and shook his head.

"I refuse to accept that. And I refuse to leave without you." and with that, he stepped back, and took his flashlight into the grasp of his jaw, as he felt one of the pockets of his belt for a pick. As soon as his fingers captured it, he slid it into the lock and began to work his magic.

"No, Richard, please don't do that!" the redhead pleaded as he jiggled the small piece of metal. Wasn't that the beauty of padlocks? No matter how fancy, new, or what planet they came from...they all had the same trick. One that he'd learned before he even met Bruce.

-Click-

The triumphant grin slid across his face.

"Stop!" Kori begged him again, drowning in her own panic. He didn't understand...this wouldn't work. It wasn't that simple. This would have consequences. The kind of consequences that would end like a horror movie. But he didn't seem to be hearing her. Instead, he looked up at her with the twitch of a proud smile, and pulled the barred door open...sounding the painfully loud sirens.

"Please! Run!" she screamed desperately. But Richard took this as his cue, and took her hand into a tight grasp,

"Let's get outta here!"

XOXOXOXOXOX

Ha, I'm probably getting on y'all's last nerves with all these cliffies.

But I love you. And that's what counts, right? I hope y'all see why this chapter took a bit longer to get up here than the past few. Not only is it longer, but it's mostly tension and detail...etc. Lol

I'm honestly, pretty unhappy with the way it came out. BUT, I figured it's been long enough for y'all to wait, so...I posted.

Either way, PLEASE tell me whatcha thought. I'm eager to hear your input.


	67. Chapter 67: Deal

So this didn't take TOO long to get up here...

I've had to work a lot, so I'm constantly playing catch up...but still. I'm working on keeping y'all updated on the life and times of Dick and Kori.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Let's get outta here!" Dick cried, as he tugged on her hand with a beckoning urge. Kori grit her teeth, but started moving. There was no time to resist...he would have a better chance at getting out of here if she were to go with him, instead of standing still in attempt to convince him to leave her.

"I'll show you the way out." she said, deciding she would cross the bridge of parting his company as soon as they were at the exit and it was easier for him to get out. He, of course, didn't hesitate. His grasp locked on her hand and before she even had a chance to react, they were running.

Kori didn't know these corridors as well as she would've liked... Though she was familiar enough with Tameranian architecture to get a feel on things. The layouts were all generally the same...not exact. But the same _type_ of construction. She could assume the main exit was southeast...which would place side exits roughly every six hallways. Of course...the hallways were arranged like a complex maze. She could do this...she just had to go with her intuition, and the assumption that Richard's life was on the line.

Left...keep straight...left again...now, right. Though he was the one in front, she was leading. And to a mutual, but silent surprise; Dick was completely alright with it. Until suddenly, Kori came to a dead stop, and yanked him roughly into her, towards a dip in the wall. He furrowed his brows, looked her over, and opened his mouth to question her, but she quickly clasped her hand over it, and shook her head. At first, he didn't understand...but than he heard the parade of footsteps.

His heartbeat caught in his gut, and he leaned further into the wall, securing his arms tighter around his beautiful girlfriend. It felt like a scene from Schindler's List...hiding from the small stampede of Nazis, just waiting for them to open fire should they spot you. But Kori squeezed her eyes shut and glued her lips to his cheek for a good thirty seconds, until the loud steps faded away. The two of them waited for the silhouettes to disappear completely down the long corridor.

Once they were gone, the teenagers heaved a sigh of relief, and slowly emerged, glancing around both corners, and pressing on. Dick was surprised at how well the redhead held together in this heightened surrounding chaos. She was perfectly composed, and wise about every move that she made. It was admirable...and made him snap together a little more. Maybe part of it was pride...he couldn't have his girlfriend being stronger than he was. But it didn't matter. There were more important things to linger on at the moment. Like the directions he watched her take.

Part of it seemed like a video game...never ending. Every time you made a turn, there would just be more empty ground to cover. Almost like the affect you see on old cartoons...you're running towards the door, but can never reach it. But he knew it was simply his nerves getting the better of him.

They turned, and ran...turned...ran...turned...ran...and this kept on. The young hero was growing more tired by the minute... Until he caught site of something... There was a small crack of light about twenty meters off. Could...could this be a way out? The hope glinted in his eyes, and he grasped Kori's hand tighter, but...suddenly she came to a perfect stop. Richard looked at her, befuddled...until the look on her face turned his blood cold. Stoic...defeated. She was staring at the light, shaking faintly...as if in a trance.

"Kori, come on!" he commanded, snapping her eyes to him. As their gazes locked, her jade tinted eyes seemed to slightly glass over. She faked a slight smile and slowly shook her head,

"I can't... I love you. But my place is here. You have to go." his gut sank...this again? No...he couldn't accept it. He tried pulling her to move with him, but she tugged her hand free of his grip and took a step back, looking away from him. It made him sick to see her resisting with such a...cold edge.

"I'm not leaving without you." he spoke with authority. Inwardly, Kori was begging for this to stop. She wanted to scream at him that it just...he couldn't do this. He couldn't be here. There was no alternative to this situation. Life or death? Yes, that's exactly what this was. Her duty was here. Her place was here. Her fate lie here. The harder he fought for her to leave, the harder this was going to be on the both of them...why couldn't he just understand? ...though she knew that answer. The tears fought through, and she shook her head, suddenly unable to look at him.

"Richard, please go." she whimpered, weakly. But the stubborn playboy shook his head and grabbed her hand again. He'd come all this way already...and she was right here in front of him. She was everything to him...never had he found a girl-no. Never had he found anyone that made him feel the way he did. That challenged him, pushed him...made him want to better himself. He couldn't let her go. Not now, not ever. She was going to have to face that...

He still pulled on her, trying to make her follow...or even budge. But she stood firm and rigid, tears in her eyes, and the look on his face that made him want scoop her off her feet and cradle her...fear. He paused for a moment and looked her over, trying to think of the words to say...but quickly decided it could wait until they got on the ship. He squeezed her hand even tighter and turned around-where his face was met with a long staff that nearly knocked him off his feet.

"No!" Kori screamed, looking up at the attacker, horrified. The strange green, scaly alien raised his weapon with a growl, and took the momentum he needed to pierce it through Richard's chest. Quick thinking on the princess's part had her fling her body over his in desperate protection.

"No...not him. Just let him go." she managed, knowing they wouldn't kill _her_ so easily. The language she was speaking wasn't English...Dick could pick up that much. But somehow, it was completely coherent to him...and whatever creature she was talking to, apparently, because he-it-stepped forward with a hiss, making Kori flinch, petrified.

"Who tried to steal my prize?" the..._monster_ boomed in question. He was strangely intimidating...granted he was like a giant green lizard. Massive, empty bug eyes...wings...large, webbed feet. He looked like a 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' gone-wrong Halloween costume...but appearances aside, Dick could feel the rage boiling up inside of him like a pressure chamber. _Prize. _He didn't think so...Kori wasn't some object of value. She was a human being-well...the point was still valid. No one was going to talk about his angel as if she were inanimate.

"She's not your prize." he hissed to the strange green being...who didn't seem to take lightly to such defiance. He began to raise his trusty ole staff to strike, but Kori was fast to step in front of him.

"He is a messenger from Earth, Trogar...please release him. He is just confirming that the transaction has been successfully completed." ...wow, she was a good liar. Dick found himself surprised how efficient she was with thinking on her feet.. Had the timing not been so poor, he would've thought to conjure up a 'that's my girl'. But the situation was neither here nor there, and the look on 'Trogar's face seemed to make him rethink that. ...irritation, to say the least.

"You think I'm naïve, Koriand'r?" he spat rhetorically, before raising his clawed hand, and clashing it across Kori's pretty face. A massive red flag triggered in Dick's head, and his fists balled into tight weapons, as he mentally begged the alien to give him a reason not to kill him where he stood. But the redhead's elbow in his gut made him stop...normally, he'd ignore it and stand up for his girlfriend...but she knew better what was going on.

"He is leaving now, Trogar. Please..." Kori paused long enough to kneel in front of him,

"My lord, allow him safe passage home." she purred, bowing her head in fake respect. Trogar managed a smirk at the flattery of 'my lord' gracing the princess's lips. Perhaps it was a stroke of ego...or perhaps she was going to pay once the doors had closed behind them.

"He tried kidnapping you, my princess." the protective tone made Dick assume it was the first one. Still, he watched, amazed...her foreign tongue doing such a good job appeasing such a...cynical nutcase. She was calm about it too, shaking her head smoothly,

"He merely tried to sway me, and failed. I was showing him out. Please, Lord...allow him departure." her voice was cool and collected, making Trogar think for a moment...he couldn't see the damage of letting the human go. It's not like he could take her away from him if set free. He was puny and weak...it didn't matter if he stayed or went.

"You're lucky our princess is more merciful than I am. Be gone, intruder. If you cross this place again, I can assure you that you will not be so fortunate." the green man snarled, as he upturned his nose to the earthly man. As she heaved a sigh of relief, Kori looked him over a final time, losing a tear amongst the seconds. She was quick to brush it away, however, and mouthed a very clear 'I love you',

"So long, Mr. Grayson." she forced a smile-likely a fake one-where Trogar couldn't see. But Dick was desperate to see and speak reason, shaking his head furiously.

"Kori, no-"

"The safest exit is through collumn X-23A." she cut him off deliberately, and gestured to the hallway they'd been traveling before getting cut off. He could feel his heart pounding...this was real, very real. She wasn't going with him. She had every intention of staying here. Of..._dying_ here. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat as his stomach churned at the thought...

"Kori, I'm not leaving without you." he begged for her to see the light... He'd rather die than abandon her on this hostile planet for torture and whatever else may come with it. And aside from that..._selfishly_, he didn't want to return home without her. He didn't even want to try to see what his life would be like without her in it anymore. She mattered far too much for him to consider leaving her behind... But it had immediately become obvious that this didn't sit well with Trogar, in the least. Jealousy was becoming evident, and Dick could almost imagine the fumes rising up from his head.

"She's mine. Leave. Now. While I still allow it." he knew he should shut up, by now...Kori was trying her best to keep him safe. But the continuous speak of her in the context of property made his knuckles whiten. It's where he drew the line.

"She is not yours." he hissed. But the monster was clearly infuriated by such defiance and began stepping closer,

"You dare disresp-"

"My lord, he is leaving." Kori stepped between them, and gestured for him to walk away...but he couldn't do it. The temper of Trogar, alone made it impossible to leave her... What would happen to her? What would he do? He couldn't go without her.

"That's right." he began, before grabbing her hand tightly. Mentally, he braced himself for the fireworks.

"_We_ are." Dick finished with a death glare to the tall, green creature. Trogar seemed to take this like a lead bullet to the heart.

"Guard-" But Kori pulled away before her captor could get any further in his command.

"Richard, go. **Now**." she snapped. He grit his teeth...maybe this could get ugly. But he was not giving up this far in.

"Not without you, goddamnit!" the tears began rolling freely down her face...why did he have to make this even harder than it already was?

"Please. Go." she begged him...she was almost ready to get on her knees and ask the guards to escort him SAFELY out of the building, just so...he'd survive Trogar's wrath. Surely all this resisting was pushing a bunch of unnecessary buttons in the already-unreasonable leader's head. But Dick's feet were planted on the ground like concrete.

"No. You know I'll fight for you." he hissed, almost angrily. But this sent a chill down Kori's spine. The word 'fight' wasn't taken lightly here...it was their way of life.

"No." she began, watching the light glint in Trogar's eyes...just what he needs. An _excuse_ to attack Richard... He'd look at this as opportunity. Keep his princess happy because he followed her rules (in theory) and still murder the other male who tried to steal her away. She knew it was too good for him to pass up.

"Now that sounds like a plausible-"

"No, pleas-"

"What do you mean?" Richard looked between the two of them with confusion... Kori's face read of horror. Her eyes were rimmed with tears, and her entire body was starting to shake. But the creepy green man looked...eager. Proud, if you will. Something that peaked his curiosity. Trogar's eyes narrowed in anticipation,

"A duel...for the princess." the young hero looked his girlfriend over...and even as she shook her head and desperately gestured for him to turn the offer down, he swallowed the lump in his throat. He was well trained...and this might just be the only was to get her out of here... He faced the giant lizard and nodded slowly,

"Deal."

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...yupp. Y'all should just get used to these cliffies. Lol

Either way...I've been super busy lately, so please bear with me. I'm writing as I can.

But...please, the suspense is killing me...let me know what you think!


	68. Chapter 68: Protective Instincts

Alright...I know it took a while to get up here. But this chapter was HELL to write.

So PLEASE enjoy it. Lol

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Cheers in the background seemed almost drowned out by the tension dripping between the two. Dick and Trogar stood at the gate of the arena. Face to face. Vengeance to greed. It seemed kind of sick...how excited the locals were to watch a pair of beings tear each other apart. ...but something told the young hero that this was a brutal race. This was probably the equivalent to a football game to them. He even imagined them placing bets on who would prevail...and couldn't help but assume none of those wagers were for his victory. But that was just fine...in this business, he'd learned a lot of things. But one in particular: underestimation could only ever be to your advantage.

He couldn't bring himself to look at Kori...not yet. He imagined her face overtaken with her own horror. He knew she was scared...scared for him, probably more than for herself. Though to be fair, she'd never really seen what he was capable of. ...a fact of which, he counted on.

It didn't matter. Feelings were feelings, and this situation needed to be assessed by the facts. Focus was key. He'd had a long night to begin with, and his energy was already partially drained. Any slip of information, or tips of any kind could _gravely_ help him at this time. He used his mask as an advantage to look around the arena for any cracks or places to evade attack. The walls looked climbable which could prove helpful. He found himself lost in a mental study for the moment...so much so, that it took Kori tugging on his arm, to literally pull him back to reality.

Swallowing the newly found dryness in his throat, Dick looked over at her. Much to his disdain, he was unable to miss the tears that rimmed her eyes.. But the malicious green monster which stood mere feet away caught his gaze further. He knew she was scared, but there were more important things right now. He'd just have to prove to her that he could handle this. Seeing is believing. So he reentered the moment, and gently pulled his arm away, glancing in her direction with a meant-to-be-reassuring nod...and than once again focused on his assailant...no. His target.

"Choose your weaponry cautiously." Trogar taunted with a sick grin. It didn't phase the boy wonder...it was a game. He had convinced himself of it. Whether it seemed truth or fabrication...he couldn't allow his mind to trace doubt. If he made himself believe it...it would boost him. With narrowed mask eyes, he stared the creature down,

"I'll use my own." Trogar only smirked,

"So be it." he growled, before walking over to a large wall of assault objects. His scaly eyes scoured the selection...and quite a selection, it was. An almost war-ready arsenal of weapons...from spears, and swords...to strange steel alien creations that the young hero never could've imagined existed... Spikes, sharp blades, and a few things Dick had never even seen before-which was saying a lot, considering he was a member of a multi-galactic crime fighting league.

Trying to contain his shock and awe, his masked blue eyes watched his assailant pick up a massive axe-looking object..._how original_, the hero couldn't help but note. But a tight grasp locked mercilessly on his arm, and he met the gaze of the terrified redhead.

"Please...please don't do this." she begged, on the verge of tears. Her stomach was churning, and her heart could be heard throughout the arena as if through a megaphone...but Richard wouldn't acknowledge it. Instead, he pulled free and placed a reassuring-or as reassuring as he could make it-kiss on her cheek,

"I'll get you out of here, babe." he eased, before stepping back, and trying to mentally block her worry from his head. He had to do this...for her. She had to understand that. ...and she did. Her eyes studied him as if he were a rare and precious specimen. It was a strange force which made her head shake back and forth...but the churning in her gut, however involuntary, was fully explainable. Helplessness. Overcoming every thought in her brain. She was about to watch the man she loved die at the hands of that which she loathed. And there was nothing she could do. If she were to offer assistance, he would surely be killed even sooner.

...although, knowing Trogar's technique...maybe that would be more merciful.

All she could do was grit her teeth and watch as the rules were explained... The duel was over a bounty-meaning it was to the death. Everything was fair-aside from using the people in the audience as diversion or weaponry. (Yes...it's happened before.) As soon as one of the adversaries is declared deceased, the duel is over. ...but there was a twist. Something Kori hadn't heard before. An outsider could tap in...fight in their place. Which could be imagined, the instant this was read out, the young princess began turning the gears in her head...though every scenario she played through her head quickly became a dead end.

"Contenders...good luck." the announcer finished with a light bow, as he backed away from the soon-to-be bloodbath.

"I will be bringing in no assistance...I will destroy this Earth scum, myself." of course, Trogar could be counted upon to muster a sort of overconfident, self indulgent quip. Even less surprising was the roar of the Gordanian crowd... Kori bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, but kept silent...even as the metallic liquid stained her tongue.

It was like a scene from a movie...all that could be heard was a fierce heartbeat. Richard and Trogar stared off...the 'prize' was carted out of the arena, and behind the security gates...everything was in slow motion...until the scream rang out. A battle cry. ...and the massive alien lord charged.

(A/N: I'm generally terrible with battle scenes, so please bare with me..)

Dick had never had so much hatred in his eyes... As his attacker grew nearer, the young hero formed a sort of tunnel vision. This man-or whatever-was the only standing between him, and everything that mattered. His angel was left to the mercy of this monster, should he fail. And his success meant that...all would be right once more in his world. It was a battle he couldn't afford to lose. Not just for Kori's sake...but for his own. She was everything...and this creature was the only thing standing between him and his future.

Through clenched teeth, Richard growled and leaped over his assailant's head as soon as they met in proximity. Even with the gravity working against him, he was able to twist, almost gracefully in midair, and maneuver into position for the perfectly calculated areal kick...had Trogar not seen it coming.

The clawed hands locked around Dick's calf, and tossed him-like waste paper- straight for the East arena wall. The young hero was unpleasantly surprised at the difficulty he had, rotating in this atmosphere...but managed to spin around, and land on his feet, rolling slightly as the momentum caught up with him. A slight growl escaped his lips as he scolded himself silently. He should've seen that coming...his training has prepared him for moments like this. He should be able to read the situation and anticipate the outcome. He was being sloppy.

The hero took a more cautious fighting stance, and watched his opponent...this time, trying to predict, rather than assume.

(A/N: Sorry, y'all...I was going to try being detailed and give a GOOD fight scene, but it's been so long since I've updated, I figure I might as well summarize it. This is the only thing that's been holding me back..)

Punches were being thrown left and right...punch...block. Block. Hit. Stumble. Block again. The duo seemed locked in a merry-go-round of 'Lesson 1' fighting sequence display. The frustration was growing obvious...and Trogar's patience was wearing thin. This was supposed to be a stupid easy victory...and every hit of his that was dodged or deflected gave him a stab of humiliation among his followers-whom thought him limitless.

With thwarted intentions, the large monster took a step back, and waited for the young hero to follow...which, of course he did. Like a rat in a trap, the alien lord swooped his scaled foot forward and caught Dick off guard enough to kick him with force enough to gain a good five yards of space between the two.

With a sharp grin, the large green creature took a deep breath, signaling a strange, deep grinding sound. Kori's observing eyes widened, and she leaped against the gate,

"Richard! Use your cape!" her scream was piercing and caught his attention like a hook. There was no time to hesitate. Even a split second of distraction could cost a man his life in battle. He cloaked himself and crouched to the ground...just in time for a shower of ultraviolet sparks to fire upon him. Even with his 'ten times stronger than steal' cape, he could feel the heat of...whatever it was raining on his back. The sting was making him sweat.

The cooling of his body led the hero to assume the attack had ceased, so he cautiously uncovered himself...just in time to be met by a large scaly foot to his unsuspecting face.

The redhead wanted to let out a scream, but the guards beside her were battling their hands over hers to keep her quiet. '_Interference!'_ she thought...although wasn't she doing the same? Anything goes...all she could do was put her faith in him, hoping he could recover and triumph. ...but with the fourth punch she watched him take, she couldn't stay silent any longer. The beautiful girl sent a sharp elbow into the rib cage of one of the guards, while the other got a firm right hook to the jaw. She would pay for this later, but her self concerns were obsolete.

Pulling completely away, she rushed to the gate, and peered forward...and her heart sunk at what she saw.

Her handsome hero was on the ground...and Trogar was winning. Dick was trying to block punches, but he was weakened...and losing more and more with every hit he took. The energy was visibly slipping from his body, and the pain was becoming more evident.. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears and she become sickened with the helplessness swimming in her gut.

Another strong kick to his chin, and he was lying almost lifeless in a daze. A smirk coated the alien lord's face, and he unclipped the massive ax from his back. Pride radiated off of him, and he raised it with a victorious roar. Kori felt her eyes get hot.

"RICHARD!" she cried out. There was no thinking...it didn't matter what the consequences would be. There was no logic between her thought strings...it was impulse. It was him.

With a racing heart and shaking hands, she leaped clear over the gate which held her back, and ran like lightning to her fallen hero. Upon reaching him, she didn't care to give him explanation. Simply laid her hand on his, and adverted her attention forward.

"Tag!" she called out, with a furious growl, before lifting her arm, setting it aglow, and firing a neon green ray straight into Trogar's chest.

It was a small attack, however, weak with malpractice, and was just enough to bring the vicious being to the ground for a moment. He seemed caught off guard, but a wide grin broke across his face, and he rose to his feet, glowing with satisfaction.

"Protective instincts." he spoke. Kori began shaking at the knees, but refused to let it show. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, raised her arm, and prepared for the worst.

She knew that the next move she made would be her death sentence...so she could do nothing but aim straight and pray for a kill shot.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Yeah, I'm pretty sure y'all hate me right now.

I took so long to update...gave you a half effort fight scene...and left you with a massive cliffey.

Buuuuuuut...you're still reading, right?:)

Lol, please tell me what you think.


	69. Chapter 69: Protective Instincts Part II

There! This one was quicker!

-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-

And it's a longer one too. It would have been up here quicker, but for the past two days, I have been unable to log into my account for some reason...so again, I apologize for the extra wait. But hey, at least it wasn't a 5 month wait this time...?

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

(A/N: I didn't have time to COMPLETELY proofread this chapter...so whatever mistakes there are, I'm sorry.)

"Protective instincts." he spoke. Kori began shaking at the knees, but refused to let it show. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, raised her arm, and set her focus upon setting it ablaze. This was a life or death shot.

You see, the big deal with this was...about nine years ago, upon the young princess's capture, she underwent a series of experiments. For almost five years, she was their captive...and subject to their terrible torture. The purpose had been to discover how much solar energy the Tameranian body could absorb before destruction...the prologue in a plan to destroy the planet in its entirety. For each person they tested, the results had varied...so they'd ventured into the royal family...those of 'pure blood'. And who better than the innocent princess?

She had responded differently than the others. For years they tried...and for years they had failed to destroy her. But there were rumors surrounding her tests. Such as the rumors upon her escape. Twas said to be a malfunction with the ship...destruction which opened window for the young alien to break free. But cut footage from the salvaged surveillance revealed clips...of a metahuman transformation within the princess. That all their tests had given her _abilities._ The rumors said she destroyed the ship herself...a fifteen year old Tameranian took out a fully armed battle cruiser.

No one knew what really happened. But since the incident, there was a reward. A reward for Princess Koriand'r. She was hidden on Earth for her protection when the war hit...but her sister turned her in. And now they had her-once again-in custody...because they wanted to find out 1, if she really _did_ possess these hearsay abilities...and 2, find out what her trigger was.

...and Trogar just found it. The overzealous grin on his face rubbed it in all too well...and he began stomping towards her like a mother about to spank her child for getting into the cookie jar before dinner. Kori kept her fists clenched and focused on her rage as she watched him near her. There was an isolated fear surrounding her...and her heartbeat could be felt pounding in her throat...

"I guess it's a good thing your little mortal boyfriend decided to crash the party." she could see the look in his eye...the taunting...the way certain muscles of his face were tightening...he was about to strike. The redhead leaped backward and released a loud battle cry, followed by a bright green beam, hot enough to melt the paint off your car. It slammed straight into the chest of her attacker, soaked his body in heat, and sent him to the ground with a loud thud.

Kori didn't let up...she wanted to make sure she fried him from the inside out. Part of it was revenge for what this man had just done to Richard. But the other part was..._insurance_. Should this man arise, the scene playing out before them was going to get far more complicated, quite quickly. The cat was out of the bag; she had powers. And if Trogar lived long enough to enjoy the spoils of his discovery...the risk to Dick, as well as herself-as well as Tamaran, for that matter-would be great...

Finally, after a good sixty seconds of firing, the princess let the beam die down...leaving the crispy form of the alien lord lying lifeless on the concrete. The plorth'ra-the equivalence of a referee-raised a red flag, and made a hand motion that told the contenders to stop and wait. Kori gave him a nod of understanding, and waited for him to proceed.

The plorth'ra marched onto the grounds, and approached Trogar's fallen form, bending down and wrapped a scaly palm around the large tail (to check the pulse). After a moment, his face fell flat, and he stood up, turning to gaze upon the crowd of civilians who watched intently. He announced something which Richard-who weakly rose to his feet, and watched anxiously-could not understand. But the sigh of relief in which Kori released gave him a decent comprehension of what was being said. This was victory. They were free.

There was chatter amongst the stands of people. They didn't look angry at the loss of their leader. They looked...confused. Unsure of what to do. Leave it to the gordanians to be such a race that they cannot function without someone dictating every more they made... But if they weren't reacting with rage and the desire to avenge their fallen master, than it was not of consequence to the young couple. At least a strange gordanian emerged from the gawking crowd. Kori recognized him immediately and tensed up,

"So the rumors _are_ true." he spoke with an enlightened curve of the mouth. She just set her eyes ablaze and threw him a glare,

"It does not concern you, Kellmar." she growled, stepping closer to Richard, she could deflect an attack, should this wicked creature attempt to slip one in.

"On the contrary, princess. By killing Lord Trogar, you've presented me with the thrown of Gorda." 'Kellmar' informed her with a glow that made her want to come at him with a right hook. She heard what he said...but it didn't really register, until she felt her boyfriend's hand on her shoulder. ..and than her heart sank into her thigh high boots. ….this wasn't over. Not even close.

"Doesn't matter." Richard's voice interjected, as he stepped into view-as if his presence wasn't already a conflict of interest. "A deal's a deal." he commented, panting through his still weakened breath. "The duel was for her freedom. And we won." But this logic caused Kellmar to laugh straight in his face,

"But here's the issue at hand; I'm not Lord Trogar. That was his agreement. He's not here to honor it." ...this reasoning lit a cauldron of anger through the playboy's body.

"That's bullsh-"

"And now we know what triggers you, princess." the alien lord 'replacement' chuckled...but Kori could feel every nerve in her body shudder. It was obvious what was about to happen next. Maybe not to Dick...he didn't know all the behind the scenes action surrounding the situation at hand.. But anyone who knew why she was here...or even anyone familiar with the rumors surrounding the heiress could figure it out, just by letting the words sizzle in their brains for a moment.

The young hero was obviously confused...he saw what she'd just done, of course...but he didn't understand what they meant by a trigger. Or why Kellmar looked so pleased, while Kori looked...utterly terrified. He furrowed his brows, and looked between the two,

"What are you-"

"Guards! Seize the earthling!" the leader called out, in all his glory.

"No!" Kori's heart filled with panic. What had she done? Spare him for a little longer to become bait to her testing? Had she allowed Trogar his victory, it would've been over by now...and-while the mere idea of such danced in her head, made her sick-that would have been the merciful scenario. She looked around desperately...there was no way she could fight them all off of him. And though he was conscious, Richard didn't seem in any shape to aid in this battle...

They were becoming more and more surrounded. Large scaly guards with weapons and the pure intent to destroy. There much had been dozens...the pounding in her chest made it feel impossible to breathe. Weakened, and panting heavily, Dick stepped in front of her protectively...hoping to guard her somehow. They were both lost for words. Their eyes scanned everything they could see...waiting for something to jump out...waiting for an opportunity...but there wasn't one. The couple was cornered...and the attackers were closing in fast.

Shaky jade orbs danced from the small army approaching, and her injured boyfriend...and than the light clicked in her head like a bright sign. She knew what she had to do to save him.

Reaching forward, she took a firm grip on his arm and pulled him to her. His masked gaze studied her briefly, trying to conjure up something helpful to offer...but she gave him no chance.

"I need you to do something for me." she stated; her words were sharp and cold...but he didn't hesitate. "Okay." she swallowed and caved a moment with a mixture of nerves and trembling knees. Looking him over for a minute, her eyes started to water, and the full gravity of her fear began weighing down on her. She swallowed the large, dry lump in her throat, and pulled him in for a hard kiss. He didn't wait to return it, and locked his arms around her waist. This was partially a 'just in case: one last kiss'...but what he didn't know; it was fuel for what she was about to do.

Kori pulled away slightly, and looked him dead in the eye,

"Trust me." she told him. And while he could make no logical sense of what she was getting at with this, he didn't falter. He didn't know what to think or say...but he locked his gaze with hers and nodded. And she didn't wait for anything more than that. Kicking off hard, she rocketed them straight into the dark sky, her arms tight around her young hero.

Dick's head began to spin...maybe it was the zero-gravity sensation...maybe it was that his girlfriend was flying...but time felt like it was standing still. He couldn't move...couldn't hardly breathe...couldn't think. All he found himself able to comprehend was the random question, 'how strong was Kori, really?' On earth, he weighed about 180 pounds...the gravity here had to add a good 89...yet she seemed to have no trouble at all lifting him clear off the ground. Whether she was just adrenalized, or her strength was simply that outstanding, he found it...remarkable.

But his thoughts returned to scattered white noise as he was stuck by a cool wave covering his body. Bringing himself back to reality, the hero looked around...his girlfriend was suddenly absent from his side...and he found he was resting on a large concrete balcony...one of the watch towers of the palace, he could assume. But that wasn't his main concern at the moment. Where was his girl? How did she just vanish? In a slight panic, he began searching the tower...maybe she was taking cover and he just missed the memo... But upon a moment longer, he came to discover that she was not there with him.

"Kori!" he called out in fear, turning circles around himself to catch sight of her...

"You'll want to take cover." he heard her angelic voice ring out from behind him. Dick turned to view the source, to see her hovering amongst the edge of the building. He swore he felt a cluster of birds flying circles in his gut...even under these circumstances, she took his breath away...the moonlight reflecting off her-which made her seem to glow with radiance...the wind spinning through her hair... It felt like a dream. Though the pain shooting through his body told him otherwise... It took him a moment to realize that she'd spoken to him.

"Kor, wha-"

"I love you." she cut him off. There was no time for an explanation. He would find out soon enough. Turning her focus back to the task at hand, she raised herself higher into the night sky...higher and higher, to the point she was but a blur from Richard's sight... And began charging. Using the moonlight, she started to glow a neon green and watched below for the swarm of guards that were surely coming after her.

The redhead pulled together the focus of deception, creating a translucent figure clinging to her body. Assuming it worked as intended, it would seem as if the earthling was still with her...and it should keep the Gordanians away from the real one. Of course, this was all in theory. She hadn't used her powers since the day she escaped... But this was not the time to second guess herself. Now was the time to give it her all and pray for the best.

Using the corners of her eyes, she glanced down to see if the bait had been taken...and it had. They were rising in a cloud of wings. Her heart began to race...and she pulled more light into her body. ...everything began to burn...but she couldn't give in to the pain. 'Just a little more.' she told herself. 'Don't let go...just a little more...' repeating this over and over again...she could feel her body reaching energy capacity. ...just a moment longer...until she could feel them right around her.

Three...two...one...

She squeezed her eyes closed and released a pained scream, and let loose a **massive **pulsating wave of neon green fury. It came in the form of a large orb, expanding, and crashing into her attackers...sending clear green ripples that took the appearance of stained glass...one right after another. She trusted that...should the guards manage to endure...the heat would fry their wings, and drop them to the ground. It was just a theory...she would test the truth in it, when she could no longer hold on.

Richard watched in awe... He couldn't even see her anymore.. The sky looked as if it were overtaken by a supernova. She was glowing brighter than the moon...the green wasn't even green anymore...it was pure white. He could feel the heat, even from where he stood...and watched as the flying guards began falling down...one by one...their wings ablaze, leaving a tail of flames, like small comets falling out of orbit. She was doing it...taking out an entire army singlehandedly... He couldn't believe it. That _his_ Kori was capable of such...raw and extravagant power.

His thoughts were vanquished as he heard Kori release another loud and...agonizing scream. He put his hand over his brows in attempt to see through the light...but there wasn't much need. Her aura was fading...flickering like a dying light bulb... The orb began to retain some of its initial green appearance...and it began shrinking...as if her body was sucking it back in. After a moment, all that was left of it was a faint glow...as she hovered there. Hovered in place as all her assailants fell to the ground, around her...and than she followed.

Exhaustion overcame her...there was a darkness that seemed to trap her body in a tight glove...she could hardly breathe...and her mind was absent of any actual thought. Her eyes fluttered closed...she folded her arms across her chest. ...and from there, everything was black.

"KORI!" Dick shouted-not like she could hear him. His heart was pounding, but it wasn't even a thought for him. He reached into his belt and pulled out the ole' handy dandy grappling hook. It took all of two seconds for him to align his aim with the tower parallel, and fire it off. And than he jumped...

Adrenaline made his stomach fly to his throat as he dove towards his angel...he'd never been so scared in his life. This was something he'd done all his life. The science of grappling was something he knew like the back of his hand. ...but never had it meant the life or death of someone else. ...and never had it been Kori. He only had one shot at this. So as she came into view, and he reached for her...he sent out every prayer he could remember from all those mornings of church he'd been forced into as a child.

His left arm stretched out in front of him...and he hooked it under her limp torso, locking it the instant he felt her secure...than clung to her as if his life depended on it. ...because truthfully, it did. He held her tight, and leaned them back, to try gaining some sort of control of the momentum they were gathering. Closer and closer they became to the ground. Dick clutched her to him and began bracing himself for landing...but he'd miscalculated the length of his grapple and the distance he was from the ground. There was a violent jerk from the wire, and he lost his grip.

Twas only about ten feet to fall...but when caught off guard, he felt the hit hard. He managed to pull Kori above him, so that he took the brunt of the fall... But when they grounded, he lost his grip, and they tumbled a couple yards apart, landing lackluster on the hard concrete. He groaned in pain and rolled onto his back, clutching his shoulder and glancing up at his angel to get a location on her.

She was lying on her side, facing away from him, her arm thrown over her stomach, the other lying underneath her. Examining her, he could see the moving of her chest, and heaved a sigh of relief. ...until he noticed the clawed green feet approaching his unconscious girlfriend. He could hear the chuckle from Kellmar, and struggled to hoist himself up...he had to protect her...but it was like moving a wall. Normally it wouldn't take him so long to recover from a fall such as this...but between the gravity, and his previous wounds as well as exhaustion...he might as well have weighed a ton...he could barely move.

"You missed one, princess." the sick man quipped. Using his foot to kick her onto her back, clicking his tongue in a 'tsk. Tsk. Tsk.' sound, and shaking his head. He was holding something... It looked like two cone shaped metallic...rods? Attached by a strange rectangular clasp. Handcuffs of some sort. The alien leaned down with a smirk and brushed some of the hair out of the princess's face. He muttered something in a foreign language, and lifted the cuffs, waving his hand over them to open them.

He began reaching for her arm, before a sharp pain exploded in his back, and sparks scattered across his back. He jerked for a moment, convulsing under the current, before falling to the ground limp, beside Kori. Footsteps could be heard, approaching the fallen villain...and Dick looked down at his foe with malice, before kicking him over and gritting his teeth.

"Don't _ever_ touch my girlfriend." he hissed, hoisting his heavy steel boot above Kellmar's unconscious head. ...and with a growl, his foot came down.

XOXOXOXOXOX

So...it kind of ended a little sloppily. But what do y'all think? You're the only critics that matter.

By the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS!


	70. Chapter 70: I Want To Tell Her

Sooooo...it took a little bit. I rewrote this chapter so many times, and I'm still not 100% happy with it.. It's a little rough, but you know...I figured it's better to just update instead of keep y'all waiting. Maybe I can revisit this down the road, after I publish another story or two.

Either way, I hope y'all enjoy.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

There was a heavy pull on her eyelids as the redhead struggled to push them open. An ache in her bones as she tried to bring herself to an awakened state. A pounding in her head as she fought to recall...anything at all. Pain twisted through her veins...a thick burning sensation consumed her skin... She suspected this wasn't the first time she'd fallen in and out of consciousness...even _if_ she couldn't remember anything. There was that feeling... A thick weight...a groggy convulsion that didn't seem to let up.

With a mousy groan, Kori forced her eyes opened. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out the faint whispering of an engine...the surface she laid on felt steady, she could tell she was in motion. A ship? She felt a surge of fear and instantly began a rather futile attempt to get up and look around. ...though the energy level-or lack there of-in her body wouldn't allow such a feat. Her eyes fought to adjust. ...had they gotten her again? Had she failed in her attempt to fight them off? ….Kellmar? Had he...where was Richard? Was he okay? Was he...alive? Her heart began pounding...panic filled her like a water glass.

She fought to sit up...she had to sit up. Had to figure out what was going on. But she could hardly even see at this point...her sight was crossed and faded...the exhaustion in her body was proving a handicap. There were few circumstances she could use to compare to her helplessness...this was right up there.

"Kori." a wave of warmth slid over her entire body, and the tightened muscles in her body relaxed significantly, as she peered up and found a face. His face.

Richard had been making his usual rounds of checking on her (which took place every 10-15 minutes, given how long it took him to check coordinates and make sure they were still on track without any complications. But upon seeing his beautiful girlfriend actually _coherent_ for the first time in two days...he couldn't hold back the smile that swept his face.

"Welcome back, angel." he soothed, as he rested beside her and ran a hand through her tangled mane. Truth be told, he was so relieved and happy, he knew he was on the verge of shedding a few tears-had it not been for years of experience hiding any source of 'weakness'. It didn't matter. She was right there...looking up at him. Trust and comfort in her gaze that just made him feel all the more satisfied.

Kori looked him over. ...while it was still hard to see clearly, she had his face tattooed in her mind...she could fill in the blanks. And she knew him well enough by now to imagine the slight lop-sided grin on his lips...as well as the curve of his brows that expressed a 'I'm happy, but this is a serious situation, so I must act professional and put together about it' kind of look.

She knew over seventy-four different languages fluently...but she still couldn't find a word to accurately describe the way she was feeling. There was confusion. Exhaustion. Fierce pain. An overall joy to see him with her, alive and..._mostly_ well. Fear. Love. ...there was so much love. And so many other things she couldn't even begin to count or describe.

"Richard, what happened?" she managed through a raspy whisper. He shook his head and continued stroking her hair. There was so much to say. So much to explain. But when she was barely conscious in the first place, and had just escaped her own version of hell, he wasn't about to spill it all on her. His main concern was-other than getting her safely home, of course-being there for her. Letting her know the world hadn't ended. Letting her know that they were going to be okay.

There was a story. There were details. There was a mess of technical and theoretical information that she would indeed need to know. But it didn't have to be right now. It could wait.

"You did it, baby. You won." he gave her the short and sweet version, but in truth, he was not lying.

Having spent the past five months of her life in his presence, she knew there was more to it. ...of course there was more to it. She fell asleep on a battlefield and woke up in a space ship. But she sensed his exhaustion. The stress already weighing down on the young man. ...as well as her own. Her body was beginning to adopt a heavy-if not dizzying-sensation...she could feel the consciousness slipping from her grasp. As badly as she wanted to know the details...she knew it was a bad time for the both of them. All she could do was give him the tiniest flicker of a smile,

"I love you, Richard.." she managed. ...how badly she wanted to kiss him...but she would have to wait. The dark shadow began slipping over her vision...and she couldn't remember anything else.

Dick just sat there for a moment, watching her lovingly. No matter how many times she said it, he loved hearing those words come out of her mouth. As if he couldn't help himself, he leaned down slowly and pressed his lips to her soft forehead.

"I love you too, Kor...I love you too." and he really did. Never in his life had he felt this way...so completely vulnerable to a girl. So taken. So...almost controlled. He'd rather die than spend a moment without her. She could bring him to his knees by smiling... And he absolutely loved it.

A sigh escaped his lips... Perhaps he should get back to the captain's chair and focus back on the journey. Part of him was reluctant to leave her side... But on the other hand, he knew she was safe...so he rose to his feet and returned to pilot position. Perhaps three hours left on this three day journey.

The rest of the trip back was silent... Dick had to depend on the autopilot the rest of the way, since he couldn't trust himself not to pass out from the pain coursing through his body. He had been strong for Kori...but in truth, he needed medical attention as badly as she did. That being said...nothing he could do about it now, so he allowed himself to think.

His head played a reel of recollections from the eventful evening they'd shared not so long ago. So many images flashed before his eyes.. Kori on the ground in her cell...curled in the fetal position, covered in scrapes and bruises...he could only imagine the hell they'd inflicted on her. The fear in her eyes when he'd accepted the duel with Trogar. The way she looked with her hair in her face as she hovered in the night sky...

The power...just the raw power that she possessed. Not necessarily that his girlfriend had superpowers. Considering his background, this really wasn't the most earth shattering part of it all. Yes...fair point. He was under the assumption that Kori was a normal high school foreign exchange student. But...given that he, himself, was a member of the Justice League...he should be grateful. As much as he hated to admit it...Bruce was right in the fact that having a girlfriend was risky...that they could come after her. It was...for lack of a better word, convenient. Kori wasn't just your average damsel in distress. He should be happy. ...and who's to say he wasn't?

I think more the matter was that he was just so...awestruck. He saw her as this innocent little flower. Yet she possessed such...well, like he said, power. She could probably give Superman a serious run for his money. He underestimated her. But should he be mad she kept such a secret from her? No, how could he be? He didn't tell her about his alter-ego. She simply figured it out. Maybe he should blame himself for not looking into her past. ...but he tried. She wouldn't let him.

No. The over-thinking was going to make everything a whole hell of a lot more complicated.

...but the darkness was closing in on him again. The screaming ache in his torso was making it hard to breathe. Perhaps it _was_ time for a little rest before he had his interrogation with Bruce. This was going to be a long night...or afternoon. It was only 10 a.m. Earth time.

They were just passing Mercury...he could afford a moment's nap.

…

…

…

…

…

The harsh beeping was screaming at him. Telling him it was time to wake up.

When Richard finally opened his eyes, he could see Earth's atmosphere...the blurry blue of the clouds. ...he probably had a good a hundred miles to go, before he hit the gravitation zone. But still, it was time to release the autopilot and navigate manually for the rest of the flight. Flipping off the back thrusters, and initiating decent...it would only be about twenty minutes before he made landing. Where he would have to face Bruce and Alfred. ...would he be the hero for rescuing Kori? Or would there be anger?

Only one way to find out...

-Twenty-seven minutes later-

-In the East Study-

Head in his hands, Bruce Wayne sat at his desk, tangled in a thick web of mental complications. It had been two days, since he'd even bothered to come out of his office. Two days since he'd done any work. Since he'd spoken to anyone...aside from the occasional '_I'm fine, Alfred.'_ and _'Thank you_' when he came to find a meal on his desk. It was safe to say, he was lost. Or maybe that was taking it a little bit lightly. He was trapped in a realm of nonsense. Helplessness. What could he possibly do?

Maybe there was a way he could form some sort of rescue. Maybe it was possible... He wasn't second in line with the Justice League for nothing. His spy, investigation, and combat skills were advanced, to say the least. He possessed negotiation abilities that had salvaged many countries' from war statuses. ...perhaps there was something he could do to...bring Dick home safe. Kori...he didn't know. Maybe there was something. Perhaps there was a sum of money that could sway them. ...maybe she could come too. But his son...they had no gain by having him there. They didn't need him. He did no good.

...unless...it was a use for Kori to comply. Her weakness...

No. He couldn't think like that. Maybe he could get the League on the case. Just perform an all out assault. A group of high powered heroes. Gifted. Driven. To save one of their own. But was it worth assassinating an entire race? Bruce thought yes. ...perhaps this meant he was compromised.

He was on his own.

There was no help.

There was no back up.

And there was no plan.

What could he do?

"Master Bruce?" Alfred's voice sounded...but the billionaire wasn't in any mood to deal with his butler tonight. Just like last night. And the night before. Since they'd stopped brainstorming together about a plausible rescue mission, there was nothing (nothing worthy, in Bruce's point of view, at least) that had passed between them. It's not that Bruce didn't appreciate the old man's assistance. He did. But at this time, there was just no point. Nothing he could do to fix things. Sure, maybe the pain would heal over time. But for now...let him be foolish. Let him think that there had to be a way. He could wallow in his own self denial. It wasn't harming anything.

But with the silence, Alfred's nerves were getting harder. He could sympathize with his boss's pain...but it was time to snap out of it and do something about it. ...of course, he wouldn't say that. Grieving was a process. But some things just needed to be assessed.

"Sir?" he asked again, studying his boss with a touch of admitted impatience. Bruce's body tensed...fists clenched...jaw tightened. He assumed Alfred knew him well enough by now to understand when he just didn't want to be bothered. But glancing over his should, he could see that his company was lingering. Stared at his desk and closed his eyes,

"What." he growled...not waiting to listen. But waiting for Alfred to walk away. He just didn't care. Nothing he had to say could possibly matter. Nothing was going to fix anything. Nothing was going to salvage the situation.

"Garage C is accepting landing at the moment." ...or perhaps he was mistaken. A small fire lit in the pit of Bruce's stomach...and with these words, the billionaire's head snapped up. Slowly...as if he were afraid to discover this moment as a dream...he turned to look at the older man standing in his doorway.

"He...He's back?" it came out in soft chokes...but it felt like something from the Twilight Zone. ...it had been a week. Yet...someone was here. Who else would know that there was a loading dock in garage C? Who else would know how to get in? Who else would know how to land in such a small dock? Maybe he was getting his hopes up. But it was all that made sense. ...or all he wanted to.

Alfred, on the other hand, seemed...solemn. There wasn't a happiness in his gaze as he looked his boss over. Simply...worry.

"It would...appear so." he began, in a slightly muffled tone. But that was all Bruce needed before he began making his way out of his dungeon, and towards the hallway. Alfred grit his teeth, and peered after, not looking forward to spilling his next mental strand of information. "Sir...there's a chance it's not him..." he said, making the tall man pause for a moment. ...because he knew there was chance that was right.

Though it seemed complicated and intimidating...hacking a ship's computer really wasn't that much of a task. And since...there had likely been no pit stops on Dick's part...the last coordinate that would've been listed in record (aside from Tameran, of course) was Gotham, California. ...the Wayne Manor, to be more specific. Between the last destination recorded...and the fact that the security codes were programmed into the mainframe... All they really had to do was set the autopilot, and they were on their way.

Bruce stood there for a moment, staring at the ground, considering the options... If his butler was right, than they were about to face an all out battle within the mansion. But if he was wrong...than it may just be a miracle. ...still, it was a chance. A sharp chance. He shook his head...maybe he should call back up. There really wasn't much time.

"Be ready to take action. I'm going to check Garage C." he spoke monotonously. Alfred furrowed his brows and looked the man over with disagreement.

"But sir-"

"Don't, Alfred. I have to see for myself if this is my son or not." he stated, turning to leave, but pausing once more in the doorway. "And if it's not, be prepared to get out of here." but with that, he was gone. Well on his way to the dock...heart pounding like a bass drum in his chest. He knew how incredibly foolish this was. How he'd been preaching to his son for years-it doesn't matter what's at stake, you always have to weigh out the situation before you take action. Perhaps this was an ambush. Or assassination. Or no...perhaps it was something far worse... And he knew he was going about this ordeal in the most wrong of wrong ways. ...but he finally got it. He could see the sense behind Richard's choices. Stupid and wreckless, or otherwise.

He simply didn't care.

His feet carried him blindly through the halls and into the entrance-way, where he typed in the verification code, and stepped forward.

And there it was. Diana's jet, in all its glory. It...didn't even look like there was a scratch on it. You could tell it had been driven. Steam was rising from the engine compartment, and there was a coating of dust along the body. ...but it was unharmed. Which brought to question...if this was a very good, or a very bad scenario. But before he could take so much as another step, the seal broke, and the ramp began lowering itself. ...Bruce's heart began to race, as he cautiously approached.

"Dick?!" he called out. His knees were actually starting to shake, and he could feel the impatience growing in his throat. This was the first time in a very long time that the Dark Knight was vulnerable.

He could hear footsteps...but their pace was...lackluster. The feet were dragging, and there was no rhythm with the steps. He put a hand in his pocket, to grab a smoke disc-which he always carried for emergencies-and inched forward. He saw boots. Than legs..._human_ legs. Until the full figure came in and it took Bruce a fair amount of strength, not to fall to his knees. It was Dick...walking towards him...cradling Kori's limp body bridal style, in his arms. Shock ran through the billionaire's body...but there was no time to wait for a reaction.

"Alfred, it's him!" he called out, and ran to the closet to pull out a stretcher. Pulling the wheels out and extending the stand, he carted it over-with shaking steps-to his son. He couldn't see any severe open wounds on the fallen princess...but lying in his grasp, she looked completely lifeless. Millions of questions spiraled around his mind, as they carefully lowered her onto it. He watched his son intently, as he brushed a strand of tangled red hair out of Kori's face, and looked her over...as if in a trance.

"Dick...what happened?" he asked, after a moment of silence. He'd half expected Dick to begin spilling details of the trip, the instant he saw his father standing there...but there was no complaint to be found. He was back. ...he was right here in front of him.

The playboy looked up at his father with a tired gaze, and offered a weak smile,

"It's okay, Bruce..." he began...but he could start seeing black and felt his knees start to cave in. "It's okay..." he said, before the entirety of his consciousness was lost, and he collapsed.

Bruce was quick to catch his son mid-fall, and carefully lower him to the floor.

-BEEP-

-BEEP-

-BEEP-

-BEEP-

-BEEP-

Sharping beeping was the first thing the playboy heard when his senses began waking back up. The pain was still rippling throughout his body...but it had been dulled-he assumed with medication-and was at least manageable now. He struggled to push his eyes open and get a bearing on where he was. He had a pretty good idea. Though his memory was cloudy, he could recall greeting Bruce at the bottom of that ramp. But...Kori? He'd had her in his arms. What...had happened after that?

"Dick...?" his father's voice gave him a light start of ground. He looked around as if in a dream state. ...a dream state of panic, at least. He needed Kori. Yeah, if he was back at the manor, that meant she had been properly bandaged up and cared for. ...but he didn't know what to expect, given the last few days' events. Concern took over his body, and he tried to sit up,

"Where's-"

"She's safe. She's just one room over in recovery." Bruce cut him off, by pressing a hand to the young man's chest, and easing back into a resting position...and Dick knew that resting was likely the best case scenario. But his mind was locked stubbornly around one thing and one thing only.

"Can I see her?" he asked, looking up at Bruce hopefully. But the gaze looking back wasn't quite as comforting or...helpful as he'd hoped for it to be. There was a...disapproval in his eyes. Almost...stoic. Cold. Something that made Dick swallow hard and look away for a minute... He knew what was coming.

"Dick. What happened on Tameran?" the billionaire asked with a firm tone. He had his son back, and he was admittedly happy. But the situation was far greater than the simplicity of 'he's back, all is well'. There were consequences...precautions...and so much more than just the surface issue at hand. A million questions, which needed a million and one answers. Countless 'what if's and risks to tend to. But the lack of worry in the playboy's face was either...worrisome, or logical.

"We won." he answered simply, leaving Bruce sitting in the hospital chair, drowning in a look of disbelief.

"You...defeated an entire army?" he asked, already preparing for the questions of his interrogation as he got the answers from his son. It couldn't be that simple. And he needed the truth.

Part of him suspected that all Dick did was break in and kidnap her from their midst...in which case, Galaxy War III was about to commence, because there wasn't even a shadow of doubt that the Gordanians would come after their prize. If that were the case, he would have to alert the League, as well as the neighboring alien allies, and stage a defense... He could only pray that the young man wasn't so..._stupid_ as to do something as rash and sporadic as that.

But Dick just looked at the ceiling and shook his head, still seemingly shell-shocked,

"No. She did." he said...and than he couldn't help but steal a glance at his mentor's face. Just as he expected. Skepticism to the ninth degree. It wasn't hard to see the gears turning in his head...trying to make any kind of sense in this. When he finally decided he couldn't do it, he looked back to Richard,

"How?" he asked softly, setting his brain to 'sponge' mode, so he could soak up any valid reasoning that may slip from the young man's tongue. But something about this irritated Dick... Perhaps it was poor timing to desire revenge, but he could see an open door to it, and decided to take it.

"I get the impression you already know." he spoke through a slight hiss. Perhaps he would test the waters first. After stealing a jet and sneaking out to perform a rescue mission which had been specifically forbidden...he should take baby steps. He was almost surprised when Bruce didn't react with anger. Instead...a look of confusion, and a light shake of the head.

"I knew she was valued highly by the Gordanians, for..." but he stopped for a moment, visibly processing before he looked up with wide eyes, "The rumors were true?" he managed, hoping the answer would be 'no'. He'd never believed they were. Just imagined coincidence and suspicious aliens with a heavy grudge, trying to cover up the humiliation of their mistakes.

"What rumors?" Dick asked, suspiciously. But Bruce shook his head. No. No games. He needed answers. And he was going to get them right here and right now.

"Gorda has a fierce militia. How did she defeat them?" he snapped, impatience flaring from his words like steam form a boiling pan. The boy wonder could see the seriousness in his father's eyes...and he quickly caught the drift. Later was the time for pushing buttons. Not right now. Now was the time for a one-on-one reality check.

"She's...she's got powers, Bruce. I've never seen anything like it." he spoke softly...losing his voice as he spat it out, as if...it was all just coming back to him again. As if he was just reminded; _yes...that really __did__ happen._

Bruce sat back in his chair and rubbed his thumbs along the side of his forehead. Powers...? It was true? All the torture and experimentation she'd undergone as a child. The years of solar absorbtion and gravity tests... It really did alter her DNA...? Was that possible? ...well...that's stupid. He's a member of the most famous and diverse superhuman organization known to Earth. Of course it was possible. But...to _Kori_? Innocent little Kori? Could it really...be true?

"She...defeated their entire army?" he asked again, after a moment of complicated silence. Dick could see the confusion wracking in his brain, and simply offered a small, silent nod. "...incredible." Bruce's response slightly surprised him. It was so...accepting? Like 'Okay, that's that.' ...but no. It wasn't okay. It absolutely wasn't okay. He was glad she was home, and that she was safe and sound...but shining light on these details made him remember: he still needed answers, himself.

"I just don't understand... If she was able to do all this in the first place... Why did she even let them take her? Why not just stay free?" he asked, more to himself than his father...but he rhetorically wished Bruce would push a little more understanding into his young and restless mind.

"To save her people, Dick. You know that." and even though...there it was...Dick still shook his head. He couldn't make sense of it. Or...maybe that wasn't true. The whole thing made sense. She cared about her people, and was willing to sacrifice herself to save them. It made sense. But he couldn't bring himself to agree with it... Therefore, it just...didn't make any logical sense to him. And, while Bruce could read the turmoil on his son's face...he wasn't done. There was still pressing curiosity poking from his subconscious.

"But what I want to know it...how did you escape without heavy consequence?" he asked, making sure he had his son's attention before he inquired such dire standings. But with this, Richard's face turned serious.

"They thought she was dead..." he began. ...Bruce's face fell slightly. This...wasn't quite what he'd been expecting in the means of an explanation. But judging by the tone being used to answer his question...the tall man found it best to remain silent. "Hell, so did I, at first. But...when I discovered a pulse, I played it off. They all believed she died in battle. ...given the fall she took...it wasn't hard to believe." he finished...cringing at the memory of Kori's body just...falling from the sky that way...and the impact he'd felt as she hit the ground beside him...he shuddered in disgust.

And it was true. She really _did _see almost deceased... There was little to no heave of her chest...and he couldn't find a pulse, himself. The way he had it figured, her body had wrapped itself in a cocoon of energy in attempt to recharge itself, and was simply operating internally. When he hauled her away, he was honestly unsure whether she was still with him or not. He just wasn't going to leave her, no matter the state she _was_ in. ...and my god, was he glad he'd made this decision.

"If this is unaltered truth... She can never return home?" Bruce made it a question...for the sake of maintaining two way communication with the shaking young man. ...but he knew the answer before it was even given.

"No." he muttered, bitterly. "At least not for a while." there was a moment of agonizing silence between them.

"Is she aware of this?" Bruce asked...as if he could read the chaos swimming through his son's mind. There was a gray tone to his eyes...a sense of defeat, if not a little bit of disapproval. Dick suspected his mentor would've taken the same action if he had been in the situation...hence the lack of lecture and scolding.

"No...not yet. I want to be the one to tell her, Bruce." he was quick to make that clear. But that still didn't destroy the sting of worry in his gut. ...what _would_ Kori say when she found out the possibility of her ever returning low was very faint? Would she be mad at him? ...what choice did he have? Leave her to her fate? Or steal her away, and close the door for return? He knew she was reasonable. Hopefully she would see the light in his intentions. But...she couldn't go home. Not anymore.

"I wouldn't expect otherwise." Bruce's voice pulled him back to reality and made him pause for a moment. This was unexpected...such understanding for such a rash action. But he wasn't going to question it... Maybe a near death, and rather heroic-if he may say so himself-experience (however stupid, and un-thought out it was) served as a temporary get out of jail free card with Bruce. ...he couldn't help but down himself a little bit for seeing things with humor at a time like this. ...but hey...being a superhero, maybe that's what he needed.

"Rest, Dick. Whatever is troubling you...everything's alright now. It can wait." he cut off whatever mental rants were going through the playboy's head, and gave him a look of 'you know I know what's best for you' ...and Dick wanted to argue. He didn't want to let any more time pass without seeing Kori, and just...making sure everything was alright. But he knew there really wasn't much chance in getting out of this one, so he nodded, and lowered his head back to the soft pillow.

"Yeah..." he muttered, staring at the ceiling for a moment, and than turning to look his mentor over...

"Thanks, Bruce..." the older man simply nodded and swallowed hard, studying Dick over with softened eyes, before offering up a weak, rather exhausted smile.

"I'm glad you're back, son."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Sooooooooooo...yeah, I'm not too sure how I felt about it.

Seems a little...all over the place to me.

But hey...it's finally up here, right?

Please let me know what y'all thought.

Next chapter will handle Dick's confrontation with Kori. Please be patient.

I love y'all!


	71. Chapter 71: Conclusion

Alright...it's a little rough. But still, I thought y'all would enjoy, nonetheless.

Please read and review.

Flamers and Praise welcome!

XOXOXOXOXOX

It was a pair of weak legs that carried the former playboy out of bed... But it was an undeniable pull that guided him towards his girlfriend's room. After sleeping a good fourteen hours, he couldn't wait any longer to see her. Given everything they'd been through the last few days...he _needed_ to see her.

Bruce and Alfred assessed both of them as 'under recovery'. Richard suffered from two broken ribs, a cracked collarbone, and a sprained ankle. Painful, to say the least...but nothing as far as fatal injuries. Kori was around the same status. Bruised up...two cracked bones in her shoulder...and though she had internal bleeding around her kidneys...blood-clotting medicine and saline had her stabilized. It had been a rough trip..._not the first 'vacation' he'd hoped for them to share together._ He thought ironically.

In all honesty...he felt happy. All this was...over. All the drama. All the stress of Kori leaving him at the end of the year. And-now that he knew what had been going on-now she was finally safe. He wasn't going to lose her... She was...his. She was all his...

With a slight sigh of victory, he turned the corner and found himself in the recovery wing...where his angel slept. In reality, this is the room he should have been placed as well. But...if he knew his adopted father-and he did-the reasoning was likely something to do with...he needed rest. And if Kori was so close to him, he'd want to be awake and beside her. He had to admit, it worked...he was well rested. Sore, to say the least. But not tired.

He eased himself gently into the seat beside her cot. ...he assumed Bruce and/or Alfred had visited her prior. For a moment, he simply looked her over...the fluttering of her lashes...her heavy breathing...he could only imagine she was still in pain. The subtle pursing of her lips. There was an unsettling jump in his heart at the thought of the agony coursing through her body. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he reached forward and took her hand gently in his.

Her eyes opened with the touch, and she looked over to him with a weak half smile. Perhaps she wasn't as 'asleep' as he'd thought.

"Richard..." she sighed, with a touch of pleasure in her voice. The relief in her gaze as she looked him over painted a slight grin on his face...it was contagious. Being in her presence after such an ordeal was, for lack of a better word, heavenly.

With admiration and the utmost care, he placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, and brought it up to the side of his face, cradling it softly. She couldn't help but smile in approval, and cupped his cheek with a gentle touch. Dancing her thumb along his jaw line, she studied him...part of her wanted to see how badly he was damaged. And the other part...just needed to make sure he was really there.

"Hey, Angel... How ya feeling?" he asked her, watching her calmly. She couldn't help but place a light smirk across her lips, and allowed one of her brows to raise,

"I could ask you the same question." she replied cockily. He grinned and took that as an 'I'm okay.'

"I'm just fine."

"Good." she purred, watching him as he kissed her hand again, before she pulled it back down to her chest and squeezed it. There was a moment of silence and staring at the floor, before she met his gaze again, "Richard, what happened?" she asked with a shaky voice. He swallowed and looked her over...he knew she'd be asking sooner or later.

"You did it, babe...you got 'em." he said, running a hand through her hair, and trying to hide the muscles tensing in his body. As happy as he was to see her awake and well, he had been admittedly dreading this conversation. So many different ways this could play out. So many different ways this could affect her. He bit the inside of his cheek, and fought to keep the soothing smile on his face... But the look she gave him filled him in on the fact that she was not buying it.

"No...after that." she clarified. He swallowed and looked away for s moment, "What about Kellmar?" she pushed a little further...hoping specifics would get the ball rolling a little easier. Slowly, he nodded,

"Okay...maybe I got one." he offered her a slight grin, trying to add a little humor to the mood...trying to laugh it off. But Kori frowned,

"Babe. ...what happened?" her tone was stern, and she looked him over...one way or another, she was going to get this out of him. And maybe he sensed that. He turned serious, and he looked away for a moment to gather his nerves which had scattered across the floor.

"Kellmar...went after you, once we got to the ground." he began, looking back to her to get a read on how she was reacting so far. She seemed unsurprised. Noting the 'we' he'd used... But than, she'd assumed he saved her. That much was...well, to be expected from him.

"And I got him." he continued, receiving a nod, which told him to continue further. A chill went down his spine, as he recalled the scene as if it were playing out in front of him again. Shuttering, he found himself unable to look at her, and turned his gaze back to the floor,

"Kori, I-"

"And then what happened?" she urged gently. She could see that he was struggling with this... But she just couldn't let it go. She _needed_ to hear this. ...surely he understood.

"The guards rushed in to see what happened..." he began again... Kori remained silent...watching him...waiting, with a tight grip on his strong hand. "You weren't moving...I don't even think you were breathing... I thought...everyone thought you were..." Dick trailed off and closed his eyes... It didn't matter how theoretical it was...he couldn't bring himself to say that word. ...not with her.

"Dead." she said it for him. He clenched his teeth, and continued staring at the unremarkable tile that coated the floor. Slowly, he regained his metaphorical balance and nodded,

"The referee checked your pulse...declared you were..." he paused, and stole a nervous glance at his beautifully wary girlfriend, "He told me I was free to go." he met her eyes with his...and she could see the turmoil like a flashing light... Offering his hand a light squeeze,

"And than...?" she pushed just a little further. Dick studied her for a moment. Well...he'd have to get the cat out of the bag sooner or later. Not only did she deserve to know...but she needed to. This was her business, more than it was his...though he didn't want to admit it.

"They had no leader. I told the ref I was taking your body to my lab to...take care of, properly. Gave them some bullshit reasoning that...the energy left inside you had to be gently assessed. To prevent global catastrophe." she shivered and looked away. ...she knew he had made it up as he went at the time...but it was eerie... That's just about what would happened to her, should she become deceased. Her body would form a sort of supernova. ...at least that's how the scientific interpretation and intuition had made her see it. This is why she was a threat. This is why she had secrets.

But that neither her nor there. Reality was bearing down on her like a thick lead weight.

"The Tameranian and Gordanian embassies...believe me to be...dead?" she managed... And while she was looking at him, her gaze was far past that of his face.

Dick moved uncomfortably in his seat.

"Kori...it was the only way I could-"

"No. I understand." she cut him off, and continued to stare into a daze. The gears began turning like a twister in her head... If what he said was true-no. She knew it was. He wouldn't lie about something like this. This was reality. And it was crashing down like razors. She knew what this meant. If Tameran thought her dead, she couldn't go back there. It meant she was now but a memory of her home.

But on that same note...perhaps now, she was off the ledger of the Citadel. To them, the Gordanians failed their task. They destroyed their prize. Which could either mean...she was off the hook. This sealed her freedom for eternity. Or...it could mean that the Citadel would acknowledge the lack of body found...and send out another assault to find her.

But assuming her first theory was accurate and she was now...estranged. No home. No family. No history. A clean slate. She couldn't pretend to be mad. She knew he did as necessary. And she couldn't pretend to be heart broken either. She had no family left alive... no friends there. Being royalty, led a rather isolated life style. There was really nothing she was leaving behind.

The only concern left was that her sister held the throne of Tameran. But...there was no more cause for war, when the treasured princess was no longer available for claim. And either way...there was really nothing she could do about it... Unveiling her liveliness was far more dangerous than whatever Kommand'r could reap. For now...there was nothing.

"Kor, I'm-" she stopped him by placing her fingers to his lips. Perhaps she had been lost in her thoughts for a moment too long...but his voice brought her back. She allowed herself a small moment longer to get a read on him...but when she had decided she really didn't need one, she just shook her head.

"Thank you." she spoke with a soft gaze. Richard was...considerably surprised by this. ...he knew she had a lot more on her mind than she was letting show. But...the look in her eyes was...resolved. He could sense she was shaken up by this...but he'd expected more emotion than she was expressing. She was Kori, after all... He folded his brows.

"Kori..." he began...but she shook her head in response and offered a weak smile.

"I know. Thank you..." but he wasn't sure whether or not to take this as her final reaction.

"Than...you understand...about Tameran...?" he asked, hoping she would fill in the rest without him flat out having to say it. But she nodded.

"I do..." she paused to await some sort of reply from the young man sitting across from her. When there was nothing more than a speechless expression on his face (accompanied by a slightly open mouth) she sighed, "What did Bruce say...?" he knew what she meant by that. The nerves in her tight jaw could tell him so.

"We wouldn't have you anywhere but here." his answer was comforting...though she still held a cluster of doubt. He would tell her a based truth. ...whether that was his intention, or otherwise. She knew he tended to infer Bruce's wishes to what he preferred. She would need to clarify the truth in her boyfriend's statement.

"Can...I ask you a favor?" she asked, nervously. But his face softened, and he looked her over,

"Yeah, of course.." ...and even though it had been clarified as an open invitation...the beautiful redhead could feel her nerves itching from beneath her skin.

"Please...don't tell anyone about...me. This." she whispered...almost embarrassed to come out and say such a thing. But Richard studied her for a moment, before slowly moving down and touching his lips to hers.

"I wouldn't, Kor...not without your wishes." he assured her...watching as the smile grazed her features. His eyes locked with hers, and sent a wave of warmth and relaxation down her spine. She leaned forward and kissed him softly...holding the contact for a matter of seconds before pulling away and looking up at him with gracious eyes.

"Thank you..." she managed, before he kissed her again.

"You know I love you, right?" she smiled.

"And you know I love you." she responded, leaning up, and giving him a much longer kiss than before. She wanted to pull him into her, and hold onto him for dear life. She just...needed to know he was _actually_ there... that it wasn't a dream. ...that all this was...really over...

"Please...lie here..." she whined sweetly, not even bothering to hide the desperation from her face. He could feel himself melt upon her request, and touched his hand to her cheek.

"You know you don't have to tell me twice." he consoled, climbing into the cot beside her-wincing all the way-and pulling her body close to his. The reuniting of her body against his after such a traumatic warfare was the most relieving feeling he'd undergone in a very long time. It was a reality check, yes. But it was...conclusion. After so much suffering and fear...he could enjoy the spoils of his victory: her. She was...safe. (Partially) because of him. It was like finally coming home after being gone for months on a grueling trip... He felt complete.

"I can't believe it's...it's finally over." she whispered, melting into him and closing her eyes to soak in the sensation. He followed her lead...it would seem they were on the same page.

The silence took over, and they found themselves lost in each other's company. They didn't notice the billionaire standing just outside the door, listening to every word, and finding himself resolved with their conversation. He tried to ignore the small smile that tried creeping across his face-mostly in means of appearing professional. ...to whom, remained a mystery. He rarely let his emotions take hold of him...but even _he_ had to admit he was pleased with the facts at hand.

He had been stressed out over the Tameran situation, himself. Not so much for the sake of his mission. Business was business. But...he'd gotten to know her. He'd gotten to care about her. ...and he'd gotten to know the horrors of the Gordanian culture. Their ways. Their methods. And he also knew all the behind the scenes details that very few people did. The sheer terror of it all... Terror that would be ungodly for anyone to endure...but for Kori. An angel like Kori... It'd left a sickening twist in the pit of his stomach that wouldn't leave him alone.

Now that she was free, he felt a sense of...peace.

His face hardened slightly, and he pulled his phone from his pocket. There were, of course, loose ends which needed tied. Dancing his fingers along the buttons, he held the small device to his ear. Two rings...

"Mr. Wayne." a voice sounded.

"Mr. Sullivan." Bruce replied with his usual professional tone.

(A/N: If y'all remember, Mr. Sullivan was the man Kori met at Dick's dinner party...the one that was Bruce's inside contact.)

"I trust you are calling in regards to the princess." the man spoke with an edge to his voice. The last news that had been transferred between the two was that of Kori's return to Tameran. One could only imagine the 'edge-of-your-seat' sensation driven with such a predicament.

"Indeed, I am." Bruce spoke, calmly.

"I'm all ears."

"I need you to do something for me."

"Name it."

"Release an article to the Wyicle galaxy... Princess Koriand'r was killed in a duel on Tameran." ...there was a moment of silence. It was to be expected. Kori was the most valued prize in that side of the galaxy... For her to be declared terminated...would affect a mass number of political standpoints.

"Is this true, or is it for security purposes?" the other line rang after another short moment.

"The less you know, Mr. Sullivan." Mr. Wayne assured with an ease to his words. It wasn't as if he didn't trust this man... He did. But given light of the severity surrounding his mission...it was safer to keep it as strictly 'need-to-know' information.

"Very well. It shall be done."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

"We'll be in touch." and with this, the call was ended. The billionaire put his phone back in his pocket, and turned his attention back to the hospital room where his son and house guest were resting. He assumed he'd granted them enough time to wake and catch up on their own details. It was his turn to check in. He took a slight peak through the door to make sure they were decent-hey...they _were_ teenagers, after all-and stepped through it.

"Hey, kids, how we doin?" he asked, looking at the battered kids as they lie together comfortably.

"We're fine." Dick said, simply. It was obvious he just wanted to be left alone with his girlfriend. Well...that, and he wasn't exactly eager to face the consequences of stealing his father's jet. Now that the 'are you okay?!' worry had worn off, he knew the scolding and punishment had to be coming soon after.

"Hi, Bruce." Kori spoke with a light smile, fighting to sit up for the sake of being polite. Bruce nodded to her,

"Welcome back, Korina." he replied gently. She looked down at the tile for a moment, before she met his eyes once more.

"I can't thank you enough...for all that you and Alfred have done." she told him sweetly...and he couldn't help but smile.

"You're more than welcome, my dear." but-as touching as this conversation was starting to become-Dick wasn't patient enough to deal with the small talk right now.

"So does...this mean your mission is concluded?" he asked, pulling a slightly confused reaction from his beautiful girlfriend. She wasn't aware Bruce had told him quite so much on the topic of their arrangement. ...though, given it was all said and done, it didn't really affect her anymore. But she watched intently...finding herself a little curious...

"As far as official business goes, yes. I've got all the paperwork signed and ready. So, Korina, as long as you don't mind being cooperative a bit longer...you'll be off the record within the next two or three days." he explained, looking her over. She nodded,

"I'll do whatever is necessary. If there's anything you need from me-"

"Actually, there is." he cut her off before she had a chance to finish her offer of willingness. Curiosity struck her again, and her brow began to hover with a mind of its own.

"Yes..?" she asked, warily...trying to piece together what his request could be...

"I need you to study up. You've missed quite a few days of school. It's starting to reflect poorly on my parenting." he finished, as the warm grin spread across his broad face. She could feel the pleased relief spread across hers, and mirrored his smile.

"As you wish, sir." she told him happily, watching her boyfriend study her with satisfaction written all over him. She couldn't help but stare at him for a moment... She got to stay with him... She couldn't be more pleased. "Thank you, Bruce." she added in, angelically.

"You're welcome, dear." he replied, pleasantly. Dick looked at him for a moment, somewhat thankfully...and than back to Kori with a loving gaze. Bruce could catch the drift.

"Rest up, you two. Monday morning is coming before you know it." he said...and with that, he left silently. Upon his departure, the redhead looked up at her handsome boyfriend cutely.

"Does this mean...I can stay?" she asked him, looking his face over for the reaction she hoped for. He smiled and cupped his hands to her cheeks.

"I told you. We wouldn't have it any other way." and with she, she smiled widely, and pulled him into a hard kiss.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Alright...I know it's a little rough. But I hope y'all weren't disappointed.

I hope to hear what y'all thought!

Please let me know.


	72. Chapter 72: The Dreaded Monday

Alright, y'all. It took a long time to get this one up.  
>I just got a new computer-my other one crashed, and I had to get my hard drive salvaged.<p>

Either way, I apologize :(  
>I hope you love this chapter, though!<br>Enjoy.

Please read and review.  
>Flamers and Praise welcome!<br>XOXOXOXOXOX

There was a light metallic clanking and the dragging of a rubber sole as the handsome young playboy drug his feet to the kitchen that Monday morning. Given the previous week he'd had, his wish list included almost anything but school. Nearly every muscle in his body was in rebellion...screaming at him for what he'd put them through. His ankle refused to support his body, and forced him to resort to tall steel crutch as a way to get anywhere.

It was almost...humiliating. Not only was he the famous playboy of Gotham City-heir to the multi-billion dollar Wayne Enterprises throne. Known for his poise, style, and all over 'coolness'. But he was also Nightwing. Equally well known, but for different reasons. He was the invincible masked hero that kept the city safe at night. He wasn't known for his weaknesses, but his strengths. His fearlessness. And his abilities.

...and he was walking with a crutch, like a damaged being-or an old man with a walker.

The voice in the back of his head said something to him about only being human, but he beat it back and continued to wallow in his self pity. In doing so, he felt the bold eyes of his father burning into the side of his face and sighed,

'Do you really expect me to go to school with my ankle like this?' he asked, although the complaint and stress of his tone fell upon def ears. Mr. Wayne turned his gaze back to the newspaper in his hands and flattened out the corner without so much as a nod.

'You can walk, can't you?' he asked rhetorically. In truth, he had expected such a struggle from his son. He simply wasn't in the mood for it.

'I'm on crutches. I look ridiculous.' the young man hissed, like a cat turning up its nose at an unfit form of attention. Bruce rose a brow, but his gaze didn't falter.

'Crutch, Dick. Singular.' he corrected. Dick growled,

'It looks ridiculous.' he was hoping for a small glint of sympathy. As his father should surely know, the pressure of being in the spot light. The delicacy of outside influence and judgment. And the push to make a constant good impression.

'No, it makes you look human. You're going to school.' it would seem the billionaire was in 'time to punish my son and teach him a lesson' mode. There was nothing that could be said to sway him...it would be like trying to get blood from a turnip. Unsuccessful and pointless.

With a pouty sigh, Dick turned his attention to the small buffet which rested on the fancy marble counters, and freed a mug from a hanging carousel, filling it with coffee. For a moment, his eyes studied the steely black liquid and there was a second's debate on whether or not to season it with cream and sugar. Ehh...why not keep it as is? A bitter start to a bitter day. As he smirked to himself and took a sip of the dark brew, footsteps could be heard. Icy blue eyes cast themselves upward, with eagerness.

And there she appeared in the doorway. He'd just spent the night with her and merely parted from her presence an hour ago...but still the mere site of her painted a wide grin on his face, and made the entire day seem brighter.

The redhead entered the kitchen in simple blue jeans, tennis shoes, and an unremarkable purple sweater...but still, she was simply radiant. There was a glow to her beauty...a shimmer in her long, cascading mane. A glisten in her eyes as they met his. And an angelic accent to her all over being. Everything she said, the way she moved...everything was simply amazing.

'Hey, baby. How are you feeling?' she flashes him that innocent smile, and studies him for a moment in adoration.

'Everything is...wonderful.' the dazed honesty in her voice forced a grin onto his face. He knew she was smart enough to know how he'd meant that question... But he also knew her well enough to know she as fully aware of that too. Therefore, he allowed himself a moment to stroke his ego and assess the situation as a complete victory. The pure freedom painted across her face caused from the simple event of catching breakfast before school. She was happy. There was little more than that at this moment... Little more that mattered.

'You two better eat. You're going to be late.' well, there was that. He's said it before, he'll say it again. School just wasn't something he wanted to do today. Glancing at the clock mounted on the pale kitchen wall, noticing Kori's jade eyes rolling in silent sarcasm from the corner of his stare. Still testing Bruce's words...she should expect nothing less.

'Thanks, Bruce.' she chirped, cutting in before he had a chance to argue. With an innocent grace, the redhead took a seat at the large table, and began making a plate from the miniature feast that rested in front of them. Eggs, bacon, a half link of sausage, and a waffle. She'd been nearly obsessed with the cratered pastries since Dick had shown her the way the syrup pools in the ruts so many months ago.

Noticing the smile on the handsome playboy's face, as he studied her, she made a gesture with her free hand to sit beside her. Manners from her royal background had her wait for him to take a seat and wait patiently for him to start on his plate before she indulged in the food in front of her...but as soon as he took a bite of bacon, she was game on, drowning her waffle in a thick strawberry syrup, merrily.

'Are you up for school today, Kor?' Richard cursed himself for the timing of his question...but he'd already intended on inquiring before she looked so content.

'Dick. Really?' Bruce scolded. The young playboy winced and fought the urge to say something along the lines of 'Oh, Bruce, you heard that?' as he refused to make any eye contact whatsoever.

'I feel fine. Sore? Of course. It'll be a few days before that changes for either of us. But school is necessary evil, babe.' she lectured cutely, forcing an amused smile upon the onlooking billionaire's face. With limited seriousness, the young man turned to his girlfriend with a grimace,

'You're supposed to be on my side.' he teased her, with the smallest ounce of disappointment. She didn't notice it, however, and giggled cutely before taking another bite of her delicious waffle.

'When did you want to leave?' she asked him after a moment of chewing and mouth blotting.

'After we eat. What's the cover story for the school, Bruce?' he turned to his father in anticipation, genuinely curious to see the story that was cooked up to explain his week of absence. He hoped it was something good like a friend's house burned down, or he went to help his grandmother, or something of that nature.

'The two of you snuck out last weekend...crashed my Camaro.' Mr. Wayne spoke with a growing smirk of satisfaction. Dick frowned, unimpressed.

'Oh, good. Thought I could expect some sympathy from my teachers.' he muttered with partial sarcasm, accompanied with a graze of expectancy. He knew this wasn't going to be so simple... Bruce had made him well aware that there would be consequence to taking that jet and disobeying orders. While he was happy to see Kori''s return, he was stern on his rules being followed. Whether he was mildly letting him off the hook...he should have known something was coming.

'That would be too easy.' yupp...that just about confirmed his suspicions.

'Gee, thanks.' this time, it was all sarcasm.

Kori smiled at him with a glint of amusement and contently sipped her coffee.

'So what are we driving?' she asked, figuring she would step in before this little comment battle could go on any further. Dick glanced at her fondly, but he caught the drift, pretending to think for a moment,

'Pretty hard to ride a bike when I've gotta lug this thing around.' he came up with, gesturing to his metal crutch which leaned uselessly on the kitchen counter. Bruce knew that comment was directed toward him, but retorted to a silent rolling of the eyes, as he let the bubbly alien take care of him.

'Than eat up. I'm going to grab my backpack.' she chirped, ignoring his attempt at small retaliation. Instead, she gracefully rose to her feet and planted the sweetest of kisses on his cheek. No more than ten seconds later, she put her empty plate in the sink, and disappeared up the stairs-for what could be assumed as the retrieval of her backpack. Oceanic blue eyes followed her for a moment in their usual trance, until he noticed his father smirking at him. He frowned.

'What are you smiling about?' he asked, slightly annoyed by the satisfaction plastered upon his face.

'I'm surprised how quickly things have gone back to normal.' but his reply made the handsome playboy put a stop to his cocky demeanor and take a more serious look at this. Normal. How farfetched. Sure, she may seem normal with her constant smiles, cheery optimism, and the unveiling attempt to brighten everyone's day. But Bruce's bedroom was on the third floor, far into the East wing of the manor. He couldn't experience anything that went on behind the scenes. The stuff she tried to hide even from him...

He couldn't hear Kori's nightmares. The screams in the middle of the night. Her trembling form clinging to him desperately to save her from the horrors lurking in her mind. He couldn't see the tears that painted her face. The guilt she sometimes dwelled on for the hell he went through to bring her back. The ticks and insecurities she would try her damnedest not to acknowledge or admit. Bruce only saw what she wanted him to see.

'Yeah...normal.' he managed, drawing himself away from his sudden flood of things he didn't like to think about.

Silence overtook the two of them for a moment. Their eyes locked, and it seemed as if the tall billionaire knew it was a decent time to change the subject.

'You know, I'm still not too happy with you taking the jet without my consent.' he spoke...slightly lighthearted, but there was a hint of authority in his voice. Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes briefly, and braced himself for the lecture he knew was coming.

'Here it comes...' he paused and rubbed the back of his neck, 'Bruce...you wouldn't have let me go... And look. I got her back. If I hadn't have gone-or if I would've asked you, she would still be stuck there...with god knows what done to her.' he wasn't exactly ready to back down. It didn't mean he was looking forward to the fight that was almost sure to spark between the two. But he was ready for this one. Because for the first time, he undoubtably made the right move.

Bruce looked at him and heaved a thick sigh,

'Dick, I know-'

'She'd probably be dead.' he added, shuddering painfully. That's something he just couldn't allow himself to think about...

'Dick-'

'I don't regret disobeying you. It saved her life.' he cut his mentor off again, but gave a tone that he hoped would show the determination he had for sticking by his actions. Bruce didn't falter. No, he just shook his head and met his son's eyes in a way that made him brace himself. Connection.

'Dick. I know. I said I'm not too happy. But I would also like to say that I'm proud of you.' his words hadn't fully sunk in, before Dick counter-attacked.

'Yeah, well-...what?' Bruce fought the urge to smirk...it was obvious the young man had expected more of a fight.

'You showed great initiative. However stupid...you followed your instincts. You risked your life, and came out successful. You showed great leadership. I'm proud of you.' with he elaboration, the former playboy took a moment to comprehend. His first reaction was disbelief. He couldn't remember ever having heard words like this from him. He acknowledged the disregard to command, and still praised him for the result. It was...new.

'Thanks, Bruce...' he said, fully appreciating this moment.

'You're also grounded.' the broad man added, without looking up from his plate of sausage and eggs. Dick immediately frowned and gaped at him,

'But I thought you said-'

'I am proud. But you still need to learn a lesson.' Dick shook his head. He should've known there would be a catch...

'Gee, thanks.' he muttered, sarcastically. He allowed his gaze to linger annoyingly on the forehead of his father, until the light set of footsteps became audible, and bouncing Kori made way gracefully back into the kitchen-newly equipped with a light jacket and her backpack.

'Are you ready?' she chirped cutely to her boyfriend, with the kind of smile that almost made him return it, had it not been for the irritation still burning in the back of his mind.

'Yeah.' he managed, reluctantly, but that just wasn't good enough for the redhead. She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her boyfriend's cheek. She was in too good of a mood for it not to be contagious.

'Smile, I love you. Let's go.' she added, and walked out the door before he had a chance to say anything else grumpily. He paused for a moment to rub the back of his neck,

'Sure thing, babe.' he said softly, before shooting Bruce a light glare, and following her lead out the door.

-Fifteen minutes later-

Pulling into the unofficially reserved spot he's used throughout the year, he braced himself for the day to come. Dick put it in park, and turned his attention to his beautiful girlfriend, who was staring out the window in a trance and singing along with the song on the radio. The grin stretched across his face, and he watched in mesmerization. It was moments like this, he could spend a lifetime in. Everything about her was perfect...

The way she hit every note flawlessly was undeniable. But there was more to it... The beautiful curve of her lips as she flooded the car with the melodious sound. The movement of her brows, as certain pitches were reached... The expressions on her face as she locked herself into the focus of her song... She was simply...gorgeous. It was like...freeing a caged bird. The freedom glowing from her very form was... breathtaking.

'If I could find assurance,  
>To leave you behind.<br>I know my better half would fade.  
>I'll follow you down.'<p>

She's really here. That's what he couldn't help but play in his mind the repeating fact...she was really here. In his life, to stay. She wasn't trapped anymore. There was no overbearing weight over her head that she had to return to a hostile planet as it's irreversible peace offering. She was right there with him.

The grin only widened, as reality crashed into him once more.

'You're so talented, Kor.' he spoke, still slightly in awe at the simply mastered grace of her voice. Embarrassed, of course, she looked down and fought the thick blush, slightly rolling her eyes reflexively.

'Let's go, cheeseball.' she managed, trying not to look at him until her shyness went away. He smiled at her, and pulled the keys out of the ignition, before they made their way out of the car, and towards the busy Gotham High entrance. Of course, not without all eyes on them. ...this was sure to be a long day.

Kori laced her fingers between his and together, they braved the halls. It was no sooner that they walked through the doors, that they became prey to the whispering of their classmates. Dick couldn't help but sigh in discontent... Bruce hadn't been kidding about the camaro cover, it would seem... And being the only celebrity in the entire school...he knew that these rumors had already spread like wildfire, and have likely changed in versions several different times.

'Well, look who it is!' the familiar voice of Victor Stone boomed from behind them. The tall redhead's face broke into a wide smile as she wriggled her hand free from her boyfriend, and gave him an eager hug.

'I missed you guys!' she sang, happily. Vic grinned as he returned the friendly gesture,

'Did y'all really steal Bruce's camaro?' Karen was the next to speak up, placing her hands on her hips, and watching the playboy intently. Dick released a heavy sigh and swallowed the lump in his throat.

'Come on, we're gonna be late.' he made an attempt to pull Kori from the small crowd of their friends, which seemed to have gathered quickly, but to no avail. Vic somewhat stepped between them and looked down at him with a toothy grin.

'Nah, man, I wanna hear this story.' there was an almost self-righteous thrill in his voice, that made Dick face-palm on the spot.

'Yeah, dude! You've gotta spill.' little Garfield Logan even joined in the peer pressure chorus. Kori, needless to say, was entertained by all this, but knew it was probably time she stepped in and gave him a light push of encouragement.

'Time for your interview skills to pay off, babe...remember, at least they don't have any cameras. Play as you go?' she offered with a hopeful smile.

'This is why I love you.' he commented through an amused grin...and the story came out spontaneously as the group make their way to class.

-In Chemistry-

Mrs. Kypton droned on about covalent bonds-or something...but no one was really paying attention. Gossip could be heard passing through the tables...the occasional paper airplane or spit ball. But in the back, Gotham's favorite couple sat, safely locked in their own little world. Their hands were locked together under their desk...their gazes often became tangled. Dick gently stroked her hand with his thumb, and she would respond with a light squeeze in return.

It was the kind of situation in a movie that would make the audience 'ooh' and 'ahh' in fuzziness. Of course, not quite everyone shared in such enthusiasm. Gar-who was unfortunate enough to share a table with them-watched in disgust. The smiles that passed back and fourth. The soft laughs from the beautiful redhead. But it wasn't until Richard pulled her hand into view and placed a light kiss upon it, that he felt the line had been crossed.

'I love you but get a room! It's like barf-fest 2014!' he quickly scribbled onto a piece of scratch paper, before passing it over to his friend with an artificial snobby glare. She giggled cutely and scribbled back,

'And miss your little notes?' he couldn't help but smile,

'I missed you, Kori.' the newest note said. And she stopped for a moment to read it over. Now, Gar wasn't really in the loop of what was going on. Nobody had told him anything. In fact, if Richard hadn't rescued her, he would've just been left to the knowledge that she disappeared one day, and never came back. All he'd noticed was she had been gone the past week or so. But even he was smart enough to connect the dots, and assume something greater had taken hold of the situation. Therefore, she smiled...mentally noting that he deserved more credit than was usually given to him, and wrote back,

'I missed you too, Gar.' he smiled, but wrote nothing in response.

There was a small period of (as close as you can get) silence... At least half of the class room had given up their disruptive behavior to do their work-likely from a bribe from the teacher, since these students almost never cooperated on their own. Something about being AP made a lot of them feel entitled... Who knows.

Kori had even fallen into the work trance too, filling out her notes, and working on one of the many worksheets she had to catch up on from the period of school that was missed. In fact, the only thing that tore her from her work was the feeling of something brushing her hand.

A folded note from Richard rested on the corner of her notebook, and a faint smile appeared on his face as he slowly turned away from her. Curiosity rose, and she opened it, turning red as she read what it said.

'Kor...go to prom with me?' she couldn't fight the smile if her life depended on it... Instead, avoided eye contacts, and formed swirly letters on the paper, before sliding it back to him.

He opened it. And he grinned.

'Of course.'

XOXOXOXOXOX

Soooooo...what did y'alll think?  
>I know it took forever to update. I'm a horrible, evil person...my sincerest apologies!<p>

But on the other hand, I tried keeping it longer like the past few have been, and I really hope y'all enjoyed reading it!

Please tell me what you think:)


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